Under These City Streets
by Disgruntled Minion
Summary: AU: The city held many secrets: hidden pathways that led to a hole in the wall restaurant boasting the best pizza in town or that the dinky looking building off Hickory Ave. was an upscale club. That creatures of the night existed among humans was not one of them. Ciel only wished he remembered that those same beings kept secrets of their own. Seb/Ciel
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** :New story! This one is finished and is undergoing edits. Updates will be slow due to work and life generally leaching the energy from me, lol, but they'll get there! Please read the warning. I will update warnings as I continue to edit as well. This story is also posted on AO3 (link in my profile) Enjoy the story! ^^

 **Warnings** : Experimentation on vampires, consensual and non-consensual, vampires turning humans without their consent, violence and blood.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Kuroshitsuji or it's characters

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1.

The night thrummed with life. Lights pulsed and flashed throughout the building, sending the beams darting across numerous faces that danced and swayed to the beat of music on the floor. The mass amount of people within the small space made the air stifling and the thin smoke that seemed to cling to the open air only increased the tightening feeling. It gave the lights a hazy appearance and Ciel waved a hand in front of his face, trying to see through the dimmed building. Before him, the crowds on the dance floor surged as the music changed to a deep, thrumming tune. Like a wave, it rolled across those on the floor and the club goers responded in turn, bodies gyrating and swaying to the beat.

Ciel rubbed at his temples and sat back down on the soft bench in the corner of the club. He couldn't find Alois in the throng of people even before the songs changed. Finding him now would prove next to impossible. Although Ciel had no doubt that if he did find Alois, he would find him with Claude.

And if anyone could get them to leave before dawn, it was Claude.

"Excuse me, Sir," a server said, pulling Ciel's attention from the dance floor. He turned to look at the man with raised eyebrows. The man placed a drink before him and gestured to a figure a few tables down. "Compliments of the young lady."

"Ah," Ciel started and eyed the dual colored drink. The red and white colors swirled together, like mixing storm clouds, and his eyes flickered up to the woman in question. "I can't accept this. I favor the other side," he said, knowing that the woman could hear his answer despite the noise in the building.

Disappointment washed over her features but she nodded briefly before turning back to her companions. Even through the haze in the room, Ciel could see a stretch of inked skin across the curve of her neck and he hummed as the server picked up the drink.

"Apologies, Sir," he said and walked away with glass in hand.

Ciel watched him go and absently wiped at the ring of condensation that the drink left on the table. He smeared the water around before wiping the tips of his fingertips off so he could dig out his phone from his pocket.

A quick look at it showed the time as one in the morning and Ciel fought back a yawn. Thankfully, it was Friday night and he could sleep in tomorrow morning, but his body itched for the soft mattress in his apartment.

He started to type out a message to Alois, hoping that it would get his friends attention. If they left now, they could get back to the apartment before one-thirty and Ciel could be in bed after the fastest shower in history. The only thing stopping them now depended on Alois picking up his phone. That and the upcoming sunrise, which Ciel hoped to beat by several hours.

Blue eyes darted up as loud shouts pierced even the deafening roar of music that filled the building. It cut through the noise with ease and from his spot; Ciel could just make out the faint struggle near the entranceway. The voices grew louder and it took Ciel a moment to realize that someone turned the music down, and the crowd turned to watch the fight as well.

Without the music, Ciel could easily hear the words that now seemed loud against the hush of the room. "- you're not allowed in here, Sir. It's forbidden now that you've-."

"I just need to see one person," came the sharp retort.

"They don't want to see you," someone else answered and the figures at the doorway vanished from sight, their words trailing faintly through the air like the smoke that clouded the room. "-fallen so far and into disgrace-"

The door slammed shut and instantly, hushed tones filled the air. They hissed like snakes and Ciel watched as the women in the few booths over talked to each other behind their hands. Eyes flashed and abruptly, a woman with red hair jumped to her feet. She weaved her way through the crowd, hand covering the back of her shoulder. Her fingers splayed slightly and through the small gaps, thin lines of a tattoo peered through them.

A hand slammed down on the table, making Ciel jump and he tore his eyes away from where the woman vanished into the crowds. Heart pounding, Ciel gazed up into the amber eyes of Claude, and his hand tightened around his phone.

"We're going, now," Claude said, his voice tense to Ciel's ears.

"That was fast," he said. "I didn't expect you to respond to the text I sent that quickly."

Claude snorted and pulled his hand away from the table. "Let's go."

Ciel grumbled as he stood up and slipped the phone into his pocket. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd get this pissed just because I wanted to leave," he grumbled and trailed Claude. Alois walked next to him, eyes darting between Claude and Ciel, and Ciel could see the confusion etched across his face. "What?" he snapped, feeling agitated at the look.

Alois scratched his cheek. "Do you know why he's so edgy?" he asked. "One moment he was fine when we were out there dancing. The next, he's dragging me across the club and demanding that we leave now."

"He's your boyfriend," Ciel complained. "Maybe it's because the sun is about to rise in a few hours and he gets cranky."

"He's never been like this before though," Alois said with a shake of his head. Golden locks swished about his face, the tips dyed a light blue to match his eyes for the night. "And we've stayed out later before without problem."

"Perhaps he's hungry?" Ciel questioned as they finally stepped outside. The hot summer air felt just as disgusting as the air inside the club and Ciel grimaced as the humidity threatened to suffocate him.

Alois shook his head again. "He ate before we left." Absently, his hand brushed the inside of his thigh. "And he only started acting agitated right before the music dimmed."

Ciel hummed. "That's because I sent you a text message asking if we could leave soon," he said. "I'm sure Claude didn't like me cutting into his time with you."

Blond eyebrows furrowed. "But I never received a text from you, Ciel," he said.

Ciel frowned and pulled out his phone, quickly pulling up the chat history between Alois and himself. "But I know I did," he said and looked down at the screen. His message still sat in the text box, cursor blinking and waiting for Ciel to hit send. "I never sent it," he said almost to himself.

"But if you didn't send it, then how did Claude know that you wanted to leave?" Alois asked and looked up at the back of his boyfriend as they continued to walk down the sidewalk. "He's good, but not that good."

Ciel didn't say anything as they rounded a corner. His thoughts raced too fast for him to keep up and he worried his lower lip as he looked over his shoulder at the direction they just came from. Something spooked Claude into making them leave. That alone scared Ciel.

If something scared Claude of all people, then Ciel never wanted to face that terror.

 **.:|Under These City Streets|:.**

The emptiness of the refrigerator stared at Ciel and he stared back at it, feeling annoyance creep into his chest. "Alois," he growled under his breath and slammed the door shut in frustration. Clearly, his roommate didn't bother to go to the grocery store earlier in the day despite promises to do so. A quick look at the clock showed it was six and Ciel weighed his options about going grocery shopping so late at night.

After the club incident three weeks ago, Claude banned both him and Alois from leaving the apartment once the sun went down unless he was with them. It proved Ciel's theory right, that something scared Claude. As to what though, Ciel didn't have the faintest idea.

Outside, the sun cast deep oranges and purples across the sky while it burned low on the horizon. Technically, the sun hadn't set just yet and Ciel could make it to the sandwich shop just down the street before it finished setting. Alternatively, he could listen to Claude and wait for him to wake up and escort them to dinner.

Ciel scoffed at the idea and stalked towards the door, grabbing his keys and wallet as he went. He wasn't about to play the part of helpless child just because Claude felt paranoid about something that had more than likely passed by now.

The door shut behind him and he strode down the sidewalk with a small skip in his step, enjoying the feeling that came from disobeying Claude and the cool night air. The beginnings of autumn slowly crept towards them and already, Ciel could see the leaves starting to turn colors. Soon, they would fall to the earth and leave the branches bare for all to see. Ciel only hoped it wouldn't get cold too soon. He enjoyed the autumn for the moderate temperatures and liked the changing of the leaves.

Ahead, he could see the sandwich shop and Ciel's stomach growled at the sight of it. Without hesitation, he entered the restaurant and got into the long line. The scent of fresh bread only made his stomach growl even louder and Ciel rocked back and forth impatiently on his heels.

His phone vibrated in his pocket as the line crept forward and Ciel pulled it out, noting the message from Alois. ' _Claude just woke up and said he's on his way over in a bit.'_

Ciel rolled his eyes. He found it hard to believe that Claude hadn't moved in with them yet or that Alois hadn't moved in with him yet. They spent almost every minute together when they could and Ciel never saw two people so affectionate with each other. It made his stomach churn with disgust and another feeling that Ciel didn't like to dwell on.

Jealousy.

He knew the feeling all too well after watching Alois date Claude for over three years now. The sickening puppy love only grew stronger and deeper as time passed, and with it, so too did Ciel's growing desire to find someone for himself. However, Ciel had no idea where to start and he doubted he could find someone like Claude. He blanched at the thought and hurried to correct himself. He doubted he could find someone in the same category as Claude. The same breed. He didn't even know where to look or go about that, and Claude remained closed up tightly on the subject.

Despite the ever-present knowledge of their existence, Claude's kind proved notoriously difficult to find when they didn't want attention drawn to themselves. Ciel only thought he could pick out the ones who fell into the same category, but he had no way to prove his theory correct.

Annoyed at himself for dwelling on the subject for so long, Ciel sighed and answered the message. ' _You forgot to get the groceries this afternoon.'_

He tucked the phone away as the line moved and Ciel found himself next in line. He gave his favorite order and paid for it, getting a number in return. Ciel thanked the cashier and wandered to the front window so he could wait. Outside, the sun was just a sliver on the horizon, making Ciel wince.

Knowing his luck, he would have to stay at the restaurant until Claude came to pick him up.

Ciel groaned and took a seat, watching the traffic pass on the street just beyond the glass. Several people walked by and Ciel ignored his phone as it danced in his pocket. No doubt, Alois noticed his absence in the apartment by now and knowing Ciel's luck, already tattled on him to Claude. Better to ignore the lecture now and enjoy the last minutes of freedom he had before Claude started breathing down his neck for leaving the apartment despite his so called 'orders'.

Instead, he watched as a person wearing a black jacket staggered by the building; hood up and covering his head. The man collapsed into one of the chairs on the veranda, almost directly in front of Ciel. Shoulders heaved as the man seemed to gasp for breath and Ciel quickly turned away from the window, worried that the stranger would notice him watching.

He stood up when someone called his number and hurried over to get his food. The sun had set, leaving the night cast in darkness and Ciel weighed his options as he thanked the server for his food. On one hand, he could chance the short walk home. On the other, he could eat in and wait until Claude came to pick him up. Both options left Ciel dealing with a pissed Claude and he didn't fancy either of them. Muttering under his breath, Ciel strode to the door with determined steps. The sun just set and the night had yet to breathe life onto its followers. He could make it home before the creatures of the night stirred and roamed about in the darkness.

Ciel pushed open the door and stepped outside, feeling the cool air surround him. He inhaled it and then let it out with a soft gust before walking back towards the apartment. He took no more than four steps when a hand shot out and wrapped around his upper arm, pulling him back towards the man who sat in front of the window.

"Please," the man rasped before Ciel could say anything and blue eyes flicked down to the hand holding him. "Please help me."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed and his gaze trailed from the hand down to the man's arms, noting that the sleeves on the opposite arm bunched up just around the crease of his elbow. And there, sitting innocently on the table next to his arm, was a long, thin needle filled with something dark.

Ciel took a stumbling step backwards, but not far enough that he broke out of the man's grasp. He could feel the fingers tightening briefly before they grew slack and Ciel's breath fell faster. Just his luck that he would catch the attention of someone looking for their next hit. Although judging by the man's appearance, Ciel could easily get away before things could escalate. He wasn't that weak.

"Let go," Ciel hissed and jerked his arm out of the man's grip. "And go find someone else to help you with your drug addiction."

"I'm not," the man started and he lifted his head up, eyes piercing Ciel's from the depths of his hood. "I'm not an addict."

Ciel scoffed. "Denial is the first stage of admitting you have an addiction," he said.

The man shook his head. "Please," he repeated and reached for Ciel again. He grasped the fabric of Ciel's jacket weakly, hand trembling and voice threatening to crack. Through it all, his eyes held Ciel's, slowly threatening to draw him in and drawn him in the depths of darkness that seemed to fill his hood.

A rough hand fell on Ciel's shoulder and tore him away from the man violently. Ciel stumbled back, nearly toppling over and losing his dinner. He managed to get his feet under him and looked about wildly, searching for the new assailant. His eyes instantly focused on Claude, the man standing firmly between Ciel and the person sitting in the chair.

"Leave him be," Claude snarled, teeth and eyes flashing.

"I meant no harm," the man whispered.

A low growl ripped through Claude's chest, making the hairs on Ciel's arm stand on end. "If I ever see you near him again," he said and let the threat dangle in the air between him. The man looked away and Claude took the chance to spit at his feet. "Filthy low life," he hissed and reached back to grasp Ciel's shoulder.

Without so much as a warning, Ciel found himself being frog marched down the sidewalk underneath the glowing streetlights. Thick silence settled itself over them and Ciel didn't bother to argue with Claude, let alone try to apologize. Claude wouldn't justify his actions right now and any tongue-lashing would happen at the apartment. They mounted the steps to the apartment complex and Claude shoved Ciel into the apartment the moment the door opened. Once inside, Ciel jerked his arm free and stalked into the kitchen, Claude hot on his heels.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Claude snapped.

"I was thinking that I was hungry and wanted food since your boyfriend didn't go grocery shopping like he said he would," Ciel shouted back. "I wasn't going to sit here and wait for you to escort me around like I'm some sort of maiden."

Claude ran a hand through his hair. "You could've fooled me," he said. "It certainly didn't look that way when I found you. If I didn't show up when I had," he trailed off, unable to continue.

Ciel clicked his tongue. "That man wasn't a threat. He could barely hold onto me, let alone chase me down when I left. My life wasn't in any danger." He sniffed. "I was fine on my own."

Amber eyes flickered with emotions. They raced too fast for Ciel to follow and he could only name a few before the rest escaped his grasp. However, for all that Ciel saw, he felt as though none of them reflected upon him. Claude's eyes didn't look at him, choosing instead to gaze out in the direction of the sandwich shop.

He jerked back as Claude's eyes swung back towards him and a finger shoved itself in his face. Ciel scowled. "Stay away from that man, Ciel," Claude said sternly. "He's nothing but trouble."

"You know him?"

"I know his kind," Claude answered curtly, leaving Ciel's question relatively unanswered. "Eat your dinner. I'll get the groceries while you eat."

He turned on his heel and swept gracefully out of the kitchen, leaving Ciel alone with his bag of dinner. Ciel blew out a frustrated breath and tossed the bag onto the table in disgust. Further in the apartment, a door closed, signaling Claude going to see Alois, and Ciel sat down heavily.

With jerky and annoyed motions, Ciel pulled the bag closer to him and dug around for his sandwich. The scene from before played on an endless loop before his eyes and Ciel took a large bite. Even now, Ciel could feel the man's weak grip around his arm and the fine tremor that shook long, thin fingers. Dark circles marred under the man's eyes and Ciel though he looked a bit on the thin side.

But all in all, he couldn't see what threat the man posed and in the end, Ciel simply chalked it up to Claude's paranoia. With how Claude acted the past few weeks, Ciel wouldn't put it past him.

Ciel shook his head and took another bite, trying to banish the memory from his mind. Nevertheless, try as he might, the images refused to leave his mind and by the time Ciel finished his dinner, he found himself haunted by the burning desire in the man's dark, crimson eyes.

 **.:|Under These City Streets|:.**

"Ciel," Alois started and Ciel strained to hear his friend over the pulsing music. "Are you still mad at Claude for what happened last week?"

Ciel gazed at Alois over the lip of his drink; Shirley Temple courtesy of Alois since his friend dragged him to the club tonight, and took a slow sip. "Why do you ask?" he questioned after he lowered the glass.

Alois fidgeted on the plush bench cushions. "Because you just have that look on your face whenever he's around and you really didn't want to come out to the club tonight," he said. "Plus you seem frustrated right now."

"I wasn't in the mood to hit the clubs tonight, Alois," Ciel said and placed the drink on the table. "Work was long and rough, and I expected to stay at the apartment. However, Claude wanted to come here, and where Claude goes, so do you. And by extension, I somehow end up along for the ride."

"I just wanted you to have some fun as well," Alois said softly, his voice almost drowned out amongst the music and chatter. "I know you haven't been in the best of moods this week with Claude after last week. And I figured a chance to leave the apartment would help some."

Ciel rubbed at his face. "I feel like I'm a dog on a leash," he groaned. "Claude won't let me or you for that matter, out of his sight after that incident last week. Which, as I keep telling him, could've happened any time of the day. I'm just getting fed up with all this."

Alois looked sympathetic. "I'm sure Claude knows what he's doing and it's all for the best. Plus, I doubt it can last much longer. It's already been what, a month since he banned us from going out at night?"

"Far too long in my opinion," Ciel grumbled and took a long drink from his glass. "And he still hasn't told us why."

"It's for a good reason, I bet," Alois tried.

"I'm sure," Ciel said and scowled into his drink. He pushed it away with a frown. "So why was Claude so adamant that we come to the club tonight?"

A shrug of the shoulders. "I'm not sure. Cabin fever perhaps?" Alois said. "We haven't left the apartment in a while when he's awake, so I think he just wanted to get out for a bit. We won't stay long though if you're feeling tired."

Ciel grunted, feeling guilty that he would force Alois and Claude back home before they wanted to return. "Its fine," he said lowly and reached for his drink, tossing the rest back in several long gulps. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. Have fun with Claude."

He didn't mean to sound so bitter, but the tone came despite his intent and Ciel hurried away from the table before Alois could comment on it. After spending the whole week stuck with Claude and Alois together, and watching them interact with each other, Ciel needed space of his own. If Alois hadn't begged him to come out tonight, Ciel would've stayed at home compared to spending his time here.

He sighed and weaved his way through the crowd, determined to put some space between himself and Alois. To his right, the dancefloor teamed with life and Ciel watched as the mass amount of bodies twined around each other as the music breathed life into everyone. A part of him itched to joined the crowd and lose himself to the beat, but the exhaustion that seeped deep into his bones yearned for a soft bed.

Ciel moved around the floor and towards the bathroom to clear his mind. The inside of the bathroom smelled of urine and sex, making Ciel's nose wrinkle as he moved over to the closest sink. He nodded to the other person in the bathroom as they left, the door swinging shut behind him. Alone, the bathroom proved oddly quiet compared to the deep base just on the other side of the door. He soaked in the silence as he finished splashing water on his face and Ciel watched as the water droplets dripped down his cheeks.

He blotted them away a moment later and dried his hands off, feeling slightly better. The club scene rushed over him as he stepped outside the bathroom; the pulsing lights and thumping music threatened to swallow him whole. Ciel skirted around a group of people standing near the wall, hearing brief snippets of their conversation that meant nothing to him.

He veered to the left, choosing to step outside to get some fresh air before returning to their table. He still felt jittery and the cool air would clear his head and give him a few moments to focus his thoughts lest Ciel say something in frustration.

The crisp air nipped at his nose and Ciel exhaled deeply, searching for his breath in the night air. It didn't fog before him, showing that autumn still wasn't on them just yet and Ciel shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Overhead, the moon gleamed brightly and cast its light onto the streets.

Ciel sighed and leaned against the wall of the building, ignoring the ever present dumpster adjacent to where he stood. Thankfully, it wasn't windy and it sat far enough down that he couldn't smell the trash. Another sigh and Ciel tipped his head back, letting it rest against the brick as he closed his eyes. He could feel the tension easing from his shoulders and his frustration ebbing away.

A rustling sound near the entrance of the alley way had his eyes snapping open and Ciel's head jerked towards the sound. He watched as a figure stumbled into the narrow space, a hand outstretched and pressed against the wall for balance.

The instinct to run grasped Ciel and he backed up quickly towards the door, the action only serving to draw the figures attention. Their head shot up and Ciel found himself frozen as familiar crimson eyes bore into his eyes. The man looked away the next second with a laugh as he slid down the wall.

"Ah, it's just you. I thought you were someone else."

"Are you stalking me?" Ciel asked, unable to help himself. Running into the man for the second time like this felt like more than a coincidence and Ciel couldn't help but wonder if Claude's fears were justified.

The man though, shook his head. "I have no reason to stalk you," he said and reached into his pocket, withdrawing another long needle. "You're of no use to me, honestly."

Ciel bristled at the comment. He didn't like anyone calling him useless and he eyed the needle with disgust. "I suppose the only thing you need is that needle," he said bitterly.

"Pretty much," the man answered and pulled the cover off with his teeth. He flicked it away and brought the tip of the needle to his skin. It pierced the skin easily and crimson eyes darted up to look at him. "If you don't like it, look away."

A low growl escaped Ciel's throat and his hand reacted before his mind processed the action. With a fast movement, he reached out and slapped the needle away, sending it flying out of the man's fingers and tumbling to the ground. The fragile glass shattered and the contents spilled out on the filthy concrete.

Surprise twisted the man's features, his hand still frozen in the act of injecting the drug into his system. Ciel though, could hardly bring himself to care. After watching his brother struggle and lose against his battle with drugs, Ciel had a strong aversion to any forms of the material. Even taking medicine sent his stomach churning in reminder.

"I needed that," the man spoke.

"Bull," Ciel spat. "Those drugs will kill you."

The surprise melted away, replaced with amusement. "You think drugs were in that needle?" the man asked, his eyes dancing with laughter.

Ciel scoffed. "Of course there were drugs in there. What else would be in there?" he asked and turned his attention to the liquid that puddled around the broken glass. His eyebrows furrowed and Ciel stared at the puddle in confusion, the bright red color reflecting the moon's light. "Is that?" he started and turned back to look at the man.

"Blood?" the man finished and stood up on shaky legs. He pressed his hands back against the wall to brace himself, a smirk overtaking his lips. "It is."

Ciel's lips parted as the man drew himself up to full height and even in the night, he could see that the man stood taller than he did. His eyes darted to the pool of blood and then back to the person standing before him, only one word on his lips.

"Vampire," he breathed, hardly believing that he managed to stumble across the elusive creature of the night.

While everyone knew they existed and held high positions of power and wealth, they also proved increasingly difficult to find. They hid themselves well in society, blending in and never causing reason for a second look. Vampires only revealed themselves to the ones they saw fit and even then, they kept those numbers at a minimum.

"So you're familiar with my kind," the vampire said.

"I am," Ciel said simply, knowing not to elaborate. Vampires kept to their respected groups and didn't like to mingle with those they deemed their enemies. If this vampire wasn't on good terms with Claude, things wouldn't end well for Ciel.

The vampire chuckled. "You're a smart one. I see whoever you know taught you well," he said and kicked the shards of glass away. They disappeared down a storm drain with a soft tinkling sound. "But I won't hurt you. As I said before, you don't have anything I need and hurting you would only cause me more trouble."

Ciel's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked, heart racing against his chest. He never knew of a vampire who needed to inject blood into them via needle. It seemed strange and he couldn't help but wonder why.

A small shrug of the shoulders and he turned his face to the side. "It's a bit complicated," the vampire answered with a wary smile.

"Try me."

"I'd rather not."

Ciel scowled. "And why not?" he demanded.

The vampire hummed lightly and leaned against the wall, his eyes flickering over Ciel's shoulder to look at the door. "Well, it's rather simple actually," he commented lightly. "You know Claude."

"Claude?" Ciel repeated and suddenly remembered the night they first met. Claude practically tore them apart and threatened to kill the vampire standing before him. It only made sense that the man knew who Ciel's vampire connection was. Even if Claude was Alois's boyfriend and not his. Thank goodness. "What does Claude have to do with anything?"

"Everything," the vampire breathed as the door burst open behind Ciel.

Ciel startled and turned around quickly, just in time to see Claude practically fly out from the building. His usual amber eyes burned with a pink tint to them and Ciel winced as Claude's hand grasped his shoulder tightly. He pushed Ciel out of the way, almost tossing him against the wall with his strength.

"Michaelis," Claude snarled. "I thought I smelled your foul scent."

"Faustus," the vampire answered softly.

Claude growled. "What are you doing here? You know you're not welcome here anymore."

Michaelis faltered and Ciel watched as hopefulness briefly washed across his face. "I had hoped," he started and went to move forward, but froze at the deep snarl that ripped from Claude's chest. The previous hope quickly drained from his face and Ciel couldn't help but feel his heart ache at the expression. The vampire looked so distraught and helpless.

"You will get nothing from me," Claude answered and glanced over his shoulder as more people appeared at the door. His eyes narrowed at them before he turned his attention back to the vampire. "You and I are no longer friends."

"But I," Michaelis began.

"Enough!" someone in the doorway snapped. Ciel turned to look at the entrance to the club, surprised to see that so many people had gathered in such a short period of time. "You lost your right to be here, Sebastian. The punishment for stepping foot in this territory could come at the cost of your life. You knew that and willingly risked the chance. You alone are responsible for your actions. Claude."

Claude nodded, his features stern and his eyes hard. "Understood," he said stiffly.

Sebastian turned desperate eyes to Claude. "Claude, please," he tried, voice pleading.

Claude snarled, mouth opening wide as he lunged at Sebastian. Even from a distance, Ciel could see the long canine teeth that protruded from Claude's gums. They dipped down in an arch, looking more like snake fangs than something that belonged in a human's mouth.

Then again, Claude wasn't truly human.

The loud and violent sounding growls that left Claude filled the alleyway, and sent goosebumps racing across Ciel's skin. He never heard Claude sound so vicious before and he pressed himself up against the wall even more to avoid detection. The last thing he wanted was to somehow fall into the fight or cross paths with either male as they danced around each other.

To Ciel's right, the other vampires crowded near the doorway - because honestly, they couldn't be anything else but vampires - all jeering and goading Claude on, encouraging him to rip Sebastian limb from limb. And the way Claude and Sebastian fought - their actions like that of wild animals; violent, deadly, and instinctive - the words had an impact. Blood already covered the dirty concrete in random splatters, more from Sebastian's wounds than vice versa, and Sebastian appeared to struggle against Claude.

He watched as Sebastian feebly dodged an attack and dropped to a knee, looking up at Claude from the ground. His lips pulled back in a snarl of his own and Ciel's heart pounded against his chest as his eyes widened in shock. Above Sebastian, Claude didn't even pause as his arm came down in a large swinging arch aimed at Sebastian's head.

Sebastian surged forward and up from the ground, teeth still bared in an attack that looked as though he aimed for Claude's neck. The action made Claude pull back suddenly and before Ciel could even comprehend what happened, Sebastian vanished from the alleyway.

His eyes frantically searched the dimly lit narrow space, trying to find the vampire but unable to discern the shadows from each other. Frustrated, Ciel turned to Claude, hoping that the other vampire knew where Sebastian vanished to, but even Claude looked confused and lost.

"Find him," someone demanded from the doorway. "He's weak now and couldn't have gone far."

Several vampires disappeared into the night, slipping through the darkness like shadows and Ciel shivered at the ease in which they moved through the night. It reminded him that even though Claude only looked innocent when he was around them, he was anything but. Alois played a dangerous game, dating Claude, but Claude seemed to know how to handle himself around Alois and treated him well.

But after watching Claude fight tonight, Ciel knew he wouldn't forget that underneath the loving exterior that Claude showed to Alois lurked a cold blooded killer.

A vampire stepped out of the doorway and made her way to Claude. "I see we have no doubts in where your loyalty lies," she commented lightly and clapped him on the shoulder. "Michaelis knows never to show his face here again. The club is ours now."

Claude scoffed. "It's yours now," he corrected and knocked her hand aside. "I'm no one's pet right now. I'm flying solo for a while."

"Of course," the female cooed. "The loss you experienced was a difficult one and will take time to come to terms. However, should you ever find yourself looking for a family; you know my offer still stands."

"Thanks," Claude said gruffly.

The woman smirked and turned on her heel, going back inside the club. A second after she left, Alois came running outside to take her place. "Ciel," he called and nearly slammed into Ciel in his attempt to reach his side. "Are you all right?"

Ciel nodded. "I'm fine," he said. "Nothing happened to me."

"What did happen?" Alois asked, looking between Ciel and Claude.

"An unwanted guest appeared on the club's doorstep," Claude answered and wiped at his mouth, teeth back to their normal length and his eyes their crisp amber color once more. A small smudge of blood stained a patch of pale skin near his mouth and Ciel couldn't tear his eyes away from it. "And this is exactly why I didn't want you roaming around at night unattended."

Ciel ignored the dig at him. "That was the same person from last week," he said. "Why didn't you tell me he was a vampire as well?"

Claude stiffened. "Because he's no one. He's just a weak vampire who has a habit of causing trouble," he said. "I told you to stay away from him."

"It's not like I purposely went searching for him," Ciel protested. "He just happened to be there when I stepped out to get some air. Besides, if he's just a weak vampire and overall worthless, I don't see how he's so dangerous."

"He is," Claude said quickly. "He's a dangerous vampire, Ciel."

Ciel crossed his arms across his chest. "That's not what you just said, Claude," he pointed out and held the vampire's gaze. "And he can't be that dangerous if you beat him so easily in a fight. By extension, wouldn't that make you the more dangerous one?"

Claude ran an agitated hand through his hair. "I'm not going to argue this with you, Ciel," he bit out. "I'm telling you this for your own good. Stay away from Sebastian Michaelis. He's a dangerous vampire."

Ciel didn't argue back, choosing instead to mull the words over in his mind. Seemingly satisfied that he understood the situation, Claude stalked past him. "Claude," he started just as the vampire reached the door. "Why didn't Sebastian have any fangs?"

"He didn't have fangs?" Alois questioned next to him. "I thought all vampires had fangs. That's how they eat, right, Claude?"

"It's a complicated matter," Claude said stiffly. "And I told you not to concern yourself with the likes of him. Just drop the subject."

He disappeared into the club, the shadows swallowing him whole and Alois shifted uneasily. "We should probably go back inside and get ready to leave. Claude's not in a good mood now."

Ciel snorted, hardly caring about Claude's mood. His mind buzzed with too many other things and worrying about a moody vampire was the least thing he wanted to think about. Instead, his thoughts drifted back to Sebastian as he entered the warm club and his mind continued to replay one specific scene from the fight.

Sebastian crouched down on a knee, snarling up at Claude without a single trace of vampire like fangs in his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Next chapter! Slowing working my way through the chapters. Bleh editing, haha. Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews and words of encouragement! They never fail to make me smile :D

 **Warnings** : Violence, gore, and blood. Probably language as well

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Kuroshitsuji.

* * *

2.

The next few days passed in a daze for Ciel. He floated aimlessly between work and his apartment, simply going through the motions without even realizing his actions. Everything felt monotonous and seemed to blur together before Ciel's eyes. Yet, for all that Ciel wandered throughout the day, his mind remained alert and it continued to focus on one thing.

Sebastian. The crimson-eyed vampire had yet to leave his mind since the night of the fight at the club, and Ciel found himself thinking about Sebastian more than he should. Especially considering they only met twice and their brief meetings didn't truly warrant such deep fascination. Yet the more Ciel tried to force the vampire from his thoughts, the more he found them circling back to Sebastian. He knew Claude claimed him as dangerous, but Ciel couldn't understand how Sebastian could be dangerous when he didn't even have teeth.

Or rather, he had his teeth. All nice and neat, and looking far too much like a human set. That wasn't what concerned Ciel and drew his attention, but instead, the lack of fangs in Sebastian's mouth. From what Ciel understood from Claude, vampires retracted their fangs to a minimal point when not in use. It helped to avoid detection and prevented them from slicing open their lips every waking second. However, during feeding or a fight, the fangs became essential. Claude never expounded upon why, but Ciel had a good idea as to the reason.

But if that was the case, then why did Sebastian never extend his fangs during the fight?

The question plagued Ciel's mind at night - one of many, actually - keeping him awake as he tossed and turned until the early stretches of the morning hour. Worst still, Ciel had no one to turn to for answers. Claude remained quiet, stonily so, and even Alois couldn't pry the answers from him. In the end, Ciel gave up on Claude two days after the event and turned to the Internet for answers.

Yet the Internet, for all its usefulness and answers, proved less than helpful. It offered up nothing of use for Ciel and left him feeling more frustrated than anything. The information regarding vampires online proved fictional at best. Ciel knew from Claude that most of the facts online weren't correct, and that generally, vampires tended to write fictitious articles designed to lead the populace astray.

Some truth mixed in with the fictional, but none of it proved prudent to Ciel's research. It ended up leaving Ciel so annoyed that by the second day of his online research, Ciel almost threw his computer against the wall. He managed to quell the urge last minute and with a flurry of motions, grabbed his jacket and shoes before storming out of the apartment.

His agitated actions led him to the park and a wooden bench, warmed by the sun's rays, where Ciel sat for several hours, watching people pass by without regard to his presence. Ciel didn't move from his spot until the sun began to set, sending long shadows stretching across the ground and Ciel likened them to puddles. Puddles of blood, which inevitably, lead his thoughts back to Sebastian once more.

With a snort, Ciel stood up and left the park before the sun could sink below the horizon anymore. The cold crept back into his bones without the burning orb in the sky and Ciel fought off a shiver as he walked down the sidewalk towards the subway's entrance. He passed a narrow street riddled with novelty shops protruding from the walls and the road dotted with people near the entrance. A person bumped into his shoulder, sending Ciel stumbling back a step with the force. He spun around to tell off the person, but found them lost within the crowds on the street. Ciel snorted as he stepped into the narrow street to avoid the crowd and his hands rose to pop the collar around his neck in an effort to stave off the chill.

Once done, Ciel cast one more look around the area, noting the warm light that spilled from the shops. He mentally reminded himself to visit the area on his day off, when the sun was out and the air warmer. He checked the street names one last time and then nearly ran into a stranger as blue eyes caught a familiar figure emerging from within one of the shops. Ciel stuttered out an apology to the flustered woman as he tried to push around her, nearly knocking her bags to the ground in his haste to reach Sebastian. Because despite the quickly fading light and distance between them, Ciel _knew_ it was Sebastian.

He watched as the vampire pulled up his hood – his profile vanishing from view – and wandered further down the street towards the exit of the alley. Without thought, Ciel raced after him, weaving through the people that mulled about the area and giving disinterested apologies to the random people he ran into. He kept his eyes trained on Sebastian, noting that he stepped into another shop and Ciel skidded to a stop in front of it.

Panting for breath, Ciel took a second to compose himself before walking into the shop as well. The shopkeeper looked up as he entered and offered him a wide smile. "May I help you?" he asked, long gray hair spilling over his shoulders.

"I'm just looking," Ciel answered and hurried through the quaint shop. It wasn't large enough that Sebastian could hide anywhere, but after two laps throughout the building, Ciel couldn't find any hint of the vampire. Almost as though Sebastian vanished once more, just as he did the night of the fight.

He approached the counter and ignored the seemingly knowing grin of the owner. "Need any help?" he asked again.

"Did someone just come in here before me?" Ciel asked.

The man cocked his head in thought. "Not that I know. Are you looking for someone?"

"Yes. No," Ciel correctly quickly. "I just thought I saw someone enter before me. But never mind. It must've been the shadows playing tricks on me."

"The shadows can do more than play tricks," the owner giggled. "Tread about carefully if you seek to walk in them."

"I don't," Ciel hissed. "I just...ugh, never mind."

He stomped out of the shop, the owner's laughter ringing loudly in his ears and his mind racing with possibilities.

It led him to waiting in the same spot again today, hoping that he could catch sight of Sebastian once more. Ciel knew the chance was a long shot, but it was the best lead he had after nearly a week since the club incident. Truth be told, Ciel was getting desperate to see Sebastian again. And even more desperate to have his questions answered.

For the past thirty minutes now, Ciel wandered the street around the same time he saw Sebastian the previous day. Each passing minute made him feel even more ridiculous and by the time forty-five minutes passed, Ciel felt like cutting his losses. If he continued to hang around the area, he would only draw more suspicion to himself and people would start to recognize him. Worse, someone would call the police on him, thinking he was a thief canvasing his next crime.

His stomach churned though at the thought of leaving and even though Ciel knew he shouldn't, he stayed a few moments longer; taking the time to examine some metalwork at a shop. It sat just adjacent to the shop Ciel visited yesterday and he chanced occasional glances at it as he shopped. He set a metal sculpture down harder than he meant when the familiar figure of Sebastian cut across the open space between the shops. Ciel's fingers curled and uncurled as Sebastian entered the store from the previous day and Ciel wasted no time hurrying after him the moment the door closed.

The setting sun filtered through the street as Ciel rushed across the cobblestone and he could barely bring himself to care that night encroached on him. Surely, he wouldn't get lucky two nights in a row at beating Claude home. Still, having Claude lecture him would prove worthwhile if Ciel could see Sebastian again.

Ciel burst into store and looked around in search for Sebastian. The shop though, remained empty and Ciel cursed up a storm. Even the shopkeeper wasn't behind his counter this time and Ciel kicked the edge of it in exasperation. He knew Sebastian entered the store just a minute ago. He couldn't vanish into thin air, no matter how likely that started to seem.

"Fucking hell," he swore and glared at the empty space behind the counter. "Now you're just taunting me."

The silence answered back and Ciel scowled. He didn't know what to do from here and returning home empty handed for a second night in a row made him feel like a failure. He was so close and Sebastian somehow managed to slip through his fingers once more.

Ciel shook his head and started to search the store once more. Vampire or not, Sebastian couldn't just vanish. Claude couldn't do that and never once mentioned that ability. Not that Claude talked much about his kind. Still, Ciel doubted that Sebastian could simply up and vanish. An explanation existed somewhere, Ciel just needed to find it.

He made a complete circuit around the shop and came to a stop in front of the counter once more. Ciel hesitated as he stared at it, chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. The counter remained the one place he hadn't checked and Ciel didn't see any other hiding spots in the shop. Hiding something under the counter seemed logical and with it being so close to the door, it would easily explain how Sebastian could vanish so quickly.

Mind made up, Ciel slipped behind the counter, heart lodged firmly in his throat. Knowing his luck, the owner would show up right about now and call the authorities, claiming him as a thief.

Ciel let out a shaky sigh as he knelt down on the floor and started to feel for any trap doors. He felt ridiculous and knew that he probably looked just as silly, but Ciel really couldn't bring himself to care. Determination drove him forward and damn it all, Ciel wanted to find Sebastian.

He rocked back on his heels, examining the floor with a critical eye. Nothing stood out and Ciel couldn't even locate any fine lines that would give away a hidden door. Furthermore, the wood sounded rather solid when he rapped his knuckles against it and he began to doubt that anything hid underneath the floor.

With a sigh, Ciel climbed back up to his feet and absently kicked at the floorboards. His shoes left a scuffmark that Ciel didn't bother to clean. He figured it was only fair after all the hassle he went through only to wind up empty handed.

Ciel glanced outside, noting the absence of the sun in the sky and he shoved his hands into his pockets. Another failed attempt.

Another sigh fell from his lips and Ciel trudged past the counter, ready to leave and put everything behind him. He spun about the small space behind the desk, looking over everything one last time in hopes that he missed something. His shoulder bumped against the large wardrobe behind him and Ciel's body tensed as the door creaked in response.

He twisted around to examine the piece of furniture, finding that the door to the wardrobe stood cracked open just a bit. Just enough that Ciel could feel an intake of cold air wafting up from inside.

Odd.

A smile grasped Ciel's lips, easily overtaking the previous frown that once sat in its place. How ironic that someone would hide something in a wardrobe; very C. S. Lewis, and Ciel had to admire the literary reference.

He pulled the door open all the way and cast a quick glance over his shoulder before examining the contents inside. Several jackets lined the hanging space, all long and gray in color. They looked to belong to the owner and Ciel casually brushed them aside so he could see the back of the wardrobe. Surely, the entrance was a false backing.

His fingers pressed and prodded the wood but nothing gave way. Irritated, Ciel stepped over the bottom piece of the wardrobe so he could get a closer look. Air, followed by an uneven surface met his foot as he lowered it, and before Ciel could realize what happened, he found himself tumbling head over foot.

Down he fell, like Alice into the rabbit hole, only far less graceful and ten times more painful. His body connected with every step and Ciel felt each bruise blossom beneath his skin as he rolled and tumbled down the staircase. His descent made a loud racket but Ciel couldn't bring himself to think about that when he landed. He found that the landing knocked the wind out from his lungs and he could only lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

From his spot on the floor, Ciel glared up at the tiny speck of light at the top of the steps. "Really now," he grumbled and slowly wiggled his fingers and toes, checking for damage. "Who forgets to put the false bottom back on?"

The dim lighting at the foot of the steps showed the steep descent Ciel made and he found himself honestly surprised he didn't break anything. Least of all his neck. Carefully, Ciel climbed to his feet, feeling his entire body protest at the action. Everything ached and his shoulder throbbed from where he landed on it at the end of his little tumble. However, despite the pain, Ciel took a staggering step forward. Because if this wasn't the place Sebastian vanished to, then Ciel would lock himself up in the apartment at night without so much of a complaint.

He continued to walk, hand pressed against the wall to keep him from tripping further. The lighting wasn't the best and Ciel squinted into the shadows, hoping to find something of use. "I have no idea where I'm going," he mumbled to himself and rounded a smooth corner.

Here, the light seemed to grow and Ciel's steps grew hurried. He blinked and something smeared into his eye, burning it almost instantly. Ciel hissed and rubbed at his eye until the feeling subsided. When he pulled his hand back, dark red covered his hand and Ciel stared at the blood on his skin.

"That can't be good," he whispered.

No sooner did the words leave him, did Ciel feel a puff of cold air against the back of his neck and then the world spun before him. Colors blurred together and Ciel heard the loud crack of his head hitting the stone wall long before he felt it. The pulsing headache that erupted and bloomed throughout his head made it even longer for the world to come into focus and when it did, Ciel blinked stupidly at the figure standing before him.

It took him even longer to realize that two strong hands held him pinned up against the wall, their grips like steel against his flesh. Nails dug into his skin and more blood bubbled to the surface before trickling down freely. Something foul wafted across his nose and Ciel gagged at the scent. He tensed as the smell grew closer and then cold air ghosted across the side of his neck, accompanied by the drag of something sharp against his skin. Blood beaded from the thin mark and a tongue swiped across the cut, long and deliberate.

"Delicious," a voice growled against his neck.

Ciel's eyes widened and before him, figures from the shadows seemed to multiple before his eyes. He didn't move in the tight grip that held him against the wall, terror grasping hold of him until it locked him into place. He understood the position he found himself in and Ciel's breath fell faster as the vampire holding him sampled his blood again.

"Please," he begged. "Please don't."

"It's your fault," the vampire growled. "We haven't fed in days and we're starving. You walked into this nest, little lamb."

Ciel started to struggle at the words, knowing all too well that starving vampires would kill a person within moments. They couldn't control their hunger and once one vampire started to feed, the rest would descend on Ciel like lions on a kill. They would tear him apart and drain him of all that he was.

It triggered his instincts to fight, to live. However, for all that he struggled; his efforts remained in vain. If anything, it seemed to whet the vampire's appetite even more and Ciel cried out when their grip tightened. The vampire drew closer and from behind him, Ciel could hear the deep growls from the remaining vampires. They danced in and out of view, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Bloodlust made their eyes shine brightly within their sunken face, and a harsh shiver sent him trembling in the vampires grip. He didn't want to die and Ciel fought back the sob that threatened to choke him. Another whimpered plea only sent the vampire chuckling low in his ear.

"I will enjoy this," he purred. Ciel's eyes widened and his hands rose in a last ditch effort to push the vampire away. It felt like shoving a brick wall, unmovable. His legs flailed, trying to kick at anything and everything they could reach, but to no avail. The vampire continued to laugh and nibbled a spot on his neck. "Just relax," he said and pushed his lower body up against Ciel's, pinning his legs to the wall.

Ciel shoved again, frantic in his efforts, and gasped when the pressure on his shoulders instantly vanished. He slumped to the floor as the vampire vanished in front of him and his heartbeat pounded in his temples. The remaining vampires eyed him hungrily just across from him, but they made no attempt to move just yet. Their eyes continued to dart between him and the fight that erupted just to their left.

Ciel could hear the noises ringing loudly throughout the tunnels and each fierce snarl sent ice racing throughout his veins. He jumped as a body skidded across the floor in front of him and Ciel caught a quick glance of crimson eyes before the vampire lunged back towards the attacker.

"Sebastian," Ciel whispered and shakily climbed to his feet. His whole body trembled as he pressed it up against the wall, watching as Sebastian fought off the vampire that pinned Ciel against the stone.

"Back down, Druitt," Sebastian snarled, baring his all too human looking teeth at the vampire.

Druitt growled back, fangs flashing in the dim light. They stood out in such stark contrast to Sebastian's lack of fangs that Ciel felt a stab of worry strike him in the gut. "You will not deny me this meal, Michaelis. I'm _starving._ "

Sebastian took a step back towards Ciel, subtly shielding him with his body. Ciel had to resist the urge not to reach forward and touch Sebastian, offering faint support as best he could. He could see the long wound marks made from claws that littered Sebastian's body and blood, far too much blood, seeped out to stain his clothes.

"Enough," Sebastian snapped, venom filling his voice and Druitt jerked his head up as though Sebastian slapped him. "Back down. Now."

Druitt silently gauged Sebastian, his eyes flickering up and down Sebastian's body. A wicked sneer twisted his features and he crouched down. "Never," he declared and lunged forward.

Sebastian met him halfway and they tumbled to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs. They snarled and hissed at each other, nails digging into flesh and splattering blood about the stone floor. It felt animalistic and Ciel could feel his hair standing on end as they continued to fight.

He knew Sebastian was at a disadvantage. Druitt had fangs and wasn't afraid to use them, sinking the long incisors into Sebastian's body whenever he could. They left long, bloody furrows in their wake and Ciel watched as Sebastian's flesh practically opened up before him; large and gaping as it spilled blood onto the floor. Sebastian faltered for a split second after the attack and Ciel screamed as Druitt took the chance to slam Sebastian into the ground. The stones cracked -or maybe the noise came from Sebastian's bones breaking, Ciel really didn't want to know - and sent fine dust scattering about in the air.

"Weak," Druitt hissed, his voice gravelly. "See how the mighty have fallen."

He spat down at Sebastian, who had yet to move, and then turned his attention to Ciel. He licked his lips, stalking closer as his eyes gleamed with something unpleasant. "Hello little robin."

"Fuck off," Ciel said as harshly as he could.

"So feisty," Druitt commented and pushed his bangs back from his face. "I like that in my prey."

He came to an abrupt stop in front of Ciel, eyes wide and features coated in shock as a hand erupted from the front of his chest. His eyes - and Ciel's - looked down at the hand that protruded from Druitt's body. A small, red mass sat in the palm and long fingers tightened around the object.

"He said to fuck off," Sebastian growled from behind Druitt. He retracted his hand, pulling with him, the heart he held in his hand. Druitt slumped to the ground in a boneless heap, blood rapidly pooling around his body from the large gaping wound.

"Sebastian," Ciel started as the vampire tossed the heart to the side, his hand dyed red. He reached out to touch Sebastian.

"Don't," Sebastian said, sliding closer to him. His palm wiped against the fabric of his pants and Ciel could see his fingers shaking slightly. He backed up, forcing Ciel to take a step back closer to the wall. "Stay back."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed and he wanted to argue that he wasn't scared of Sebastian, but his eye caught the motions just over Sebastian's shoulders. Ahead of him, the vampires swarmed about them, all eyeing Ciel with starving eyes. Desperation swam in them and Ciel clutched at the back of Sebastian's shirt. The fight between Druitt and Sebastian did nothing to deter them from getting to him, and if anything, Ciel would have to say that it made things worse. It fed the bloodlust that filled the air and he could almost see it dancing in their eyes. They promised a fast but painful death for Ciel if they managed to capture him.

He jumped as Sebastian neatly dispatched the first vampire that attacked them, nails drawn and teeth glinting in the dim light. A severed head rolled around on the stone floor and the body fell at Sebastian's feet as two more vampires rushed forward to meet him.

They moved too fast for Ciel to track and he yelled as a vampire appeared at his side with no warning. He caught sight of the long, arching teeth before Sebastian spun on his heel and pushed Ciel under him as he raised his arm. The fangs sunk deep into Sebastian's arm and Ciel heard a faint grunt escape his mouth. It sounded pained and he couldn't help but wince as he hid under Sebastian's body.

Sebastian trembled as he pushed himself up from the crouch, slowly forcing the other vampire back. His hand held the attacker's face in a tight grip and he twisted his body to the side. The vampire had no choice but to move with him and Sebastian released his grip just before slamming him into the ground. The vampire dislodged itself from Sebastian's arm as it cried out in pain and Ciel glanced away as Sebastian's leg rose, but it didn't stop him from hearing the resounding crunch.

He shivered and pressed himself up against Sebastian's side. "They're not stopping," Ciel said.

"There's too many," Sebastian gasped as he straightened. He spun Ciel around, putting him to his back once more as he fended off another attack. "We need to leave."

"What?" Ciel asked, head jerking up to look at Sebastian in surprise. "Leave to where?"

But Sebastian already grasped his wrist and pulled him away from the numerous corpses littering the ground. Ciel stumbled over a dismembered leg and gasped as Sebastian swept him up into his arms. "It's faster this way," Sebastian said and took off through the tunnels.

"They're still following," Ciel stated as he glanced over Sebastian's shoulder. He felt that Sebastian didn't move as quickly as Claude did, but he didn't say anything. Sebastian's speed still trumped his.

"Of course," Sebastian answered and he almost sounded amused. "I'd worry if they weren't."

They rounded a tight corner and Ciel clutched Sebastian's shoulders to keep himself anchored. He could hear the horde of vampires just behind them, nails scrapping against the stones and snarls bouncing off the walls, and Ciel nearly shouted when one seemed to jump out from the shadows at him.

Sebastian pivoted almost in midair - the action threatening to make Ciel sick - and threw out his arm. Something left his hand and flew towards the vampire, embedding itself deeply into the vampire's chest. It dropped back with a loud howl and Sebastian continued forward without once missing a beat.

"That was really cool," Ciel breathed. "But don't do it again. My stomach can't take a second time."

Sebastian's laughter sounded more like a wheeze. "I'll try my best." Another corner and Sebastian skidded to an unexpected stop. "Undertaker," he gasped.

Ciel glanced over his shoulder as Sebastian lowered him to the floor. A single person stood in the middle of the hallway, covered in blood and holding a weapon nearly as tall as him. "What's going on?" he asked, worried about the sudden change of plans. Weren't they just running towards an exit just seconds ago?

"Take Ciel with you to the forward chambers," Sebastian said, panting for breath and ignoring Ciel. "They won't make it into those rooms. They're secure."

"Sebastian," Ciel demanded again. "What's going on?"

Sebastian glanced at Ciel and pushed him towards the other man with a shaky hand. "Go with Undertaker. He'll take you to a safe location." His gaze rose to Undertaker. "I'll hold them back."

Undertaker clicked his tongue. "You'll need help," he said and made to step forward.

"Don't," Sebastian snapped as the first vampire rushed into the hallway. He tossed a long silver knife in its direction and the creature snarled at him, but didn't slow. "Ciel's safety comes first. I can handle myself."

Crimson eyes bore into Undertaker's, and Ciel could see them flash with a hint of pink. The color traced the pupil and threatened to bled into the rest of the eye; overtaking every speck of red. He flinched as Sebastian turned back to face the vampire, neatly tearing its head from the vampire's shoulders and crushing it under his heel.

"Go, now!" Sebastian shouted as three vampires descended on him.

"Sebastian!" Ciel screamed and then startled as arms circled around him, hoisting him up into the air. He panicked until he realized Undertaker held him securely in his arms, and he thrashed about in the grip. "Let me go. You can't just leave him like this."

Undertaker shook his head. "It's what he wants," he said but an undertone of hesitancy flowed throughout Undertaker's tense body as he shifted his weight onto one leg. Ciel could feel the stiffness in his body that had nothing to do with the fight and everything to do with Sebastian. More vampires spilled into the hallway, Sebastian the only thing stopping them from reaching the spot where Undertaker stood.

But Ciel knew he couldn't stop them all from passing; not after the earlier fight with Druitt. Sebastian looked fatigued and his actions sluggish, a stark difference from the fresh vampires that rushed him. Blood soaked the stone floor and Ciel swore that half of it came from Sebastian. Numerous wounds littered Sebastian's body, mapping a pathway of destruction, and they only seemed to grow with each passing second.

A loud scream erupted in front of him and Ciel's gaze snapped away from Sebastian and to the space just before them. Far too close to them, a long stake pinned a vampire to the ground through its chest, strange etchings glowing on the front of the stake and Ciel felt Undertaker take a step back.

"No," Ciel started tearing his eyes from the blank faced vampire before him to Undertaker. "No, you can't go."

"We have to," Undertaker said. "I can't fight them back and protect you at the same time."

Ciel began to struggle again. "Then go help him. I'll be fine."

Undertaker shook his head. "Except you won't," he said.

"Please," Ciel begged as Undertaker turned on his heel. "Please, don't leave him."

Undertaker didn't answer and Ciel scrambled to break free from his grip. However, Undertaker tightened his hold and Ciel could only watch, as Sebastian grew smaller as they ran away from him. He screamed as the remaining vampires attacked at once and Sebastian vanished under a pile of bodies, leaving nothing but a mess of limbs and Ciel struggled to find Sebastian. To know that the vampires hadn't torn him apart in their fury.

Then they turned a corner and all Ciel could see was black.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** : -slinks back in- After far too long, I present the next chapter! I had planned to have this out much sooner, but of course, life and work demanded copious amounts of attention, and apparently, I'm bound to their call xP Keep your fingers crossed that work stays mostly quiet this week so I can finish editing the rest of the chapters :)

 **Warnings:** Blood, non-consensual blood drinking, language

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Kuroshitsuji.

* * *

Ciel took to pacing the small room that Undertaker put him in, the dank gray walls blurring together after countless trips around the room. The cell – because that's what it was in the grand scheme of things – didn't have anything to help mark the passing of time and Ciel could only assume how many hours passed since he left Sebastian's side. He ached for his phone, which he more than likely lost in the middle of the fight. If not to have something to do, then to help ease the unknown at least.

With no clock or way to tell time, Ciel counted the time by how many laps he made around the cell. One full circuit equaled out roughly a minute and after 90 complete laps, Ciel forced himself to stop counting. He shot a dark look in the direction of the door, silently willing it open or for Undertaker to return. The man left an unknown time ago after having stayed in the same room for at least an hour – or at least by Ciel's mark of time.

Ciel ranted and raved at the man to leave him and help Sebastian instead of staying with him. Even though, deep down, fear gnawed at his belly at the thought of staying alone in the tunnels. If something happened to both Sebastian and Undertaker, the remaining vampires would decide on him like wolves. The fear for both himself and Sebastian warred within him, but Undertaker easily made the decision for him, claiming that he needed to stay and practice him, just in case a vampire made it past Sebastian.

Ciel wanted to argue that Sebastian called the rooms secure and that he didn't need a babysitter, but the fear made him swallow his tongue. If Undertaker silently worried about a vampire making it past Sebastian, then the anxiety that bubbled low within Ciel felt justified. Yet, it didn't quell the apprehension for Sebastian's safety. The confliction within him made Ciel sick.

They shared an hour in strained silence, Ciel fuming at Undertaker as he made his laps around the cell and Undertaker cleaning the blade of his long weapon. Then, without warning, Undertaker stood abruptly and left the room. Ciel watched him go, wondering about the sudden move but he didn't call him back. Fear for Sebastian's safety finally reared its head long enough to still Ciel's tongue. So long as Undertaker went to go help Sebastian, than Ciel couldn't bring himself to care.

However, with each passing minute and hour, Ciel could feel his patience growing thinner. He yearned to know what happened to Sebastian and the never-ending silence didn't help him.

He didn't think Sebastian could die that easily, but given his lack of fangs and the numerous wounds that decorated his body, Ciel worried that Sebastian wouldn't hold up well against the mass of vampires that flooded the tunnels.

He sat down with a low groan, feeling his body shake with relief. With the fight behind him and the fire from his anger nothing more than smoldering embers, the previous adrenaline that filled him left in a single motion and with it came the dull throbbing deep in his bones. Every bruise he gained from falling down the steps ached and the dried blood on Ciel's temple pulled at his skin, leaving it tender.

Ciel ran a hand through his hair and brought his knees up to his chest. Without a clock in the room, he couldn't tell how long he sat alone. It felt like ages and a random thought flickered through his mind, wondering if Claude knew about his little adventure. Probably not. It meant that at this moment, Claude was probably tearing apart the apartment in frustration or out scouring the town in search for him.

Or, if Ciel could hope, Claude didn't bother to come over tonight. It happened on occasion, but not very often. Ciel scoffed, the sound dry and raspy in his throat. Chances of Claude passing up a night with Alois were low.

He cursed and pressed his forehead against his knees. "Undertaker," he yelled, knowing that it wouldn't make any difference, but it made him feel better. "Open the fucking do-"

The door swung open, cutting Ciel off mid-word. For a brief second, Ciel realized that shouting out his location in an endless maze of tunnels filled with vampires looking for him, probably wasn't the smartest idea. However, Undertaker's figure stood in the doorway instead of a vampire, and Ciel heaved a sigh of relief.

It passed quickly and he climbed to his feet, ignoring the dull ache that blossomed when they touched the floor. "How long have you been here?" Ciel demanded. "I've been waiting for ages."

"It's only been two hours since I left," Undertaker said with a grin and backed out of the room, having Ciel follow him. "All you had to do was call."

Ciel scowled. "And all you had to do was put the false bottom back on the wardrobe and we wouldn't be in this situation," he bit out. "Or better yet, you could've just told me where Sebastian was. You knew that's who I was looking for last night."

Undertaker clicked his tongue. "Had you not searched so diligently for Sebastian, this wouldn't have happened."

"It's still your fault," Ciel sniffed.

A giggle. "Maybe. I thought it would be fun, but I never expected you to act so clumsy and trip all the way down to the bottom. Your blood caught their attention and before we knew it, we had a riot on our hands." Undertaker shook his head. "I must admit however, that the outcome to this little joke turned far more sour than I predicted."

Ciel sobered, his previous anger quickly bleeding away. "How is Sebastian?" he asked. "Is he…?" he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"He lives," Undertaker said as they came to a stop in front of a door. "But just barely. His situation makes things...difficult."

"He doesn't have fangs," Ciel said quietly.

"So you noticed."

"I noticed last week when he fought other vampires," Ciel said. "I didn't know vampires couldn't have fangs."

Undertaker frowned slightly. "It's complicated," he said and his fingers drummed lightly against the door handle. "And as much as I enjoy torturing Sebastian, it's not within my place to talk about the situation. If he wishes to tell you everything, he will."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed, remembering that Claude said the same thing when he questioned about Sebastian's fangs. He didn't know what that meant for Sebastian, but Ciel figured it couldn't bode well for the vampire. Whatever it was, it left him at a disadvantage and clearly, no one wanted to explain why he didn't have them.

"Is he awake at least?" Ciel pressed, trying for a different route in search of answers.

Undertaker shook his head. "He's still asleep. It will take his body a while to recover from the numerous injuries. He lost a lot of blood and given the situation," he trailed off and switched tactics. "I assume you want to see him."

"Yes," Ciel said without hesitation.

"Just fair warning," Undertaker cautioned. "He's in bad shape."

Ciel grunted. "I figured as much," he said and gestured to Undertaker's clothes. Blood stained the front in a macabre pattern and a few streaks even colored his cheeks. "That wasn't there when you left me."

Undertaker grinned. "But I never said it was all his blood. I had a little fun, too, you know. But you don't care about that, do you?" He pulled open the door and ushered Ciel inside. "Here we are."

Blue eyes squinted into the dimmed lighting, trying to sort through the darkness and shadows. Only a small red light glowed in the room and after several minutes, Ciel's eyes finally adjusted enough for him to make out the motionless figure lying on a cot. "Oh," he murmured and took a hesitant step closer to Sebastian.

In the faint red light, the lacerations looked more like dark smudges against Sebastian's skin, almost as though he rolled around in mud and never washed it off. Ciel almost laughed at the thought and only wished the marks were mud. As it was, too many of them covered Sebastian's body and his arm rested at a weird angle.

"It's broken," Ciel said and his hand rose, wanting to touch it, but he jerked his hand back quickly and held it tight to his side.

"It's not too bad," Undertaker said softly. "All things considering, it could've been far worse. It just looks bad because they dislocated his shoulder as well. The arm probably broke after that."

Ciel winced. "All because of me." He paused. "And you," he added, shooting Undertaker a deep scowl.

Undertaker hummed lightly. "You forget though that vampires have a higher tolerance to pain. I'm sure dislocating the shoulder hurt, but in the heat of battle, Sebastian probably didn't realize what had happened." He shrugged. "For what it's worth, he was still awake when I reached him."

"It's helpful, but just barely." Ciel said and finally gave into the urge to touch Sebastian. His fingers traced over the pale skin of Sebastian's face, feeling the smooth texture under the pads of his fingers. Undertaker obviously cleaned his face of blood. "He's not breathing."

"Vampires don't really need to breathe," Undertaker said and drew closer. "It takes more effort and energy to force the organs to work that way. It's best to let everything rest with him this injured."

Ciel's fingers slowly smoothed down the curve of Sebastian's cheek. "Then shouldn't you have like a drip line of blood or something? I thought blood always healed wounds for vampires."

Undertaker giggled. "Surely you know by now that almost all the information online about vampires isn't true," he said.

"Enlighten me," Ciel drawled.

"First off, a vampire can't digest blood while asleep. They need to be awake and moving so the blood circulates. That's why most vampires feed right when they get up," Undertaker said. "It prevents vampires from growing stronger when they sleep or otherwise go into hibernation. Otherwise we'd find ourselves with a war on our hands."

Ciel hummed as he carded his fingers through Sebastian's hair, combing out the knots. He couldn't stop himself, finding the action soothing. "I suppose that makes sense," he said. "And the blood to heal injuries?"

Undertaker picked at a spot on his clothes. "Blood will help speed up the process, but time and sleep will do the rest. Blood isn't some magical potion that heals all the wounds within a blink of an eye," he said. "These things do take time. Especially when a vampire hasn't fed."

"But Sebastian's fed at least, right?" Ciel asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Undertaker said carefully. "As I said, it's complicated."

Ciel didn't answer and turned his attention back to Sebastian, mind racing. He had far too many questions and nowhere near enough answers. He didn't understand why feeding would prove so difficult for Sebastian. True, he lacked fangs, but Ciel always assumed vampires could just drink a pint from a glass or something. That's what they did in movies and stories.

They probably weren't wholly accurate, but they had to have some semblance of truth to them.

"When will he wake?"

Undertaker looked towards a clock mounted on the wall. "He'll sleep through the day and won't wake again until dusk. The sun will rise in a few hours and it's best for him to get as much sleep as possible."

"Of course," Ciel grumbled. He always thought it a myth that vampires slept during the day and that Claude only did it to keep up appearance. Apparently, that wasn't so much of a myth after all. "Then I'm staying until he wakes up."

A grin stretched across Undertaker's face. "Somehow I knew you'd say that. But what of your little watch dog, Claude?"

Ciel blanched, uneasy that Undertaker knew about his connection with Claude. "I'll just tell him I stayed at a friend's place tonight," he said. "And he's not my watch dog," he corrected.

He padded his pockets for his phone, only to groan when he remembered that he lost the device during the skirmish. Undertaker giggled and dug into the folds of his robe, pulling out a battered, but familiar looking phone. Ciel scowled at him and snatched it from the crazed man. The device still worked and Ciel wasted little time typing out a message, only to realize it wouldn't send with them so far underground.

Undertaker held out his hand. "I'll send it for you when I go topside in a bit. I need to get some more supplies and I'm sure you'd like a heavy blanket," he said. "It gets cold down here, even during the day."

"Where are we anyway?" Ciel asked as he reluctantly handed over the phone, not really having a choice.

"We're under the city," Undertaker answered. "These tunnels stretch all throughout this district and connect to various shops, providing a safe passage for those who know about them. Everyone connected to them is a friend and loyal to me. We're safe down here."

In some senses, the knowledge proved comforting and disconcerting at the same time, and Ciel tried not to dwell on it. "That's nice to know," he said instead and looked around the room. "Where am I staying?"

Undertaker pointed to the corner of the room. "There's a couch there that you can use. I'll go get your blanket," he said. "Sebastian tends to forget that it gets cold down here and other warm blooded beings need heat."

Ciel's lips quirked. "I take it he doesn't have guest very often."

"You'd be surprised," Undertaker said, green eyes dancing in the dim light. He didn't bother to elaborate and Ciel found that he hadn't expected it. "Go ahead and get some sleep. You've had a harrowing day."

"I don't suppose you have a bathroom down here by chance, do you?" Ciel asked.

Undertaker gestured to a door on the same wall as the couch. "Just through there. You'll find everything you need. Kitchen is just opposite from there, just in case you're hungry."

Ciel nodded and Undertaker slipped through the door they previously entered, leaving Ciel alone in the dim room. Blue eyes flickered to Sebastian before Ciel made his way over to the bathroom. It pained him to know that Sebastian lived in such a dismal place; underground and probably alone. It almost felt as though he lived in exile.

He paused as he reached the door and Ciel looked over his shoulder at the sleeping figure, feeling a wave of sympathy crash over him. "What happened to you, Sebastian?" he asked but only silence answered him.

 **.:|Under These City Streets|:.**

Ciel nibbled at a bone shaped cookie, courtesy of Undertaker, and stared out into the dim darkness. The red light only provided so much light and Ciel quickly found himself bored after waking. He wasn't surprised that he slept for so long after stretching out on the couch. Within moments of his head hitting the pillow, sleep overtook him and Ciel succumbed to a dreamless sleep.

When he woke, the surrounding darkness sent him into a brief panic until the memories from the previous night washed over him. A quick look to the center of the room showed that Sebastian still slept and Ciel searched for any hint of a clock. He didn't find any, but seeing that Sebastian hadn't woken, Ciel assumed it wasn't nightfall just yet.

Ciel preferred that train of thought compared to the alternative.

He reached for another cookie, breaking it in half and taking a bite. Ciel found the small assortment of plates set out on the table next to him when he woke, and he wasted no time in devouring the food. All that remained now were the cookies, which turned out far better than he first guessed. Stomach fed and body recovered, all Ciel needed now was for Sebastian to wake.

He perked up as the door opened, sending light spilling across the floor, and a tall figure slipped into the room. "I see you're up," Undertaker said from the doorway and shut the door behind him.

"I am," Ciel answered and raised the cookie in hand. "Thanks for the meal. The food down here was, uh, severely lacking."

Undertaker shrugged. "We haven't had a chance to go shopping yet. I noticed you did find something to eat last night after your shower though."

Ciel grunted. "An apple and crackers were hardly enough," he pointed out. "But this makes up for it, thanks." His gaze turned to Sebastian. "Will he wake up soon?"

"He should," Undertaker said. "The sun set already and his internal clock should wake him up. If it doesn't, then I fear the damage was far greater than I first anticipated."

A frown rushed across Ciel's face. "I thought you said he was fine yesterday."

Undertaker mirrored his expression. "I did. However, things don't always turn out the way you plan them. Sebastian's body might be weaker than we first assumed and if that's the case, then he needs more recovery time." He moved over to Sebastian's side and Ciel stood up from the couch to join him. "Only Sebastian knows his strength right now and all we can really do is wait for him."

"Frustrating," Ciel mumbled and circled around the cot. He nearly ran into a small table that wasn't there the previous night and he glanced at it. A few needles sat on the surface and Ciel had a good idea what they were for but he asked regardless. "What's this?"

"For when Sebastian wakes up," Undertaker answered. "And I'm still not sure if I want you around for when that happens."

Ciel scowled. "I'm staying," he said adamantly.

Undertaker grunted. "Somehow I figured you would say that."

"He owes me answers," Ciel stated as he looked over Sebastian's body, noting that most of the smaller wounds appeared healed. The larger ones still blemished his skin, but they didn't look as deadly as the previous night. He came to a stop at Sebastian's head and Ciel reached out to touch the soft hair. "He's breathing at least. That has to mean something."

"It's a good sign," Undertaker admitted as Ciel ran his fingers down the bridge of Sebastian's nose. They moved lower and skimmed over the curve of his lips, and Ciel found himself holding his breath. "Of course, if he just stopped feigning sleep and opened his eyes, Sebastian could tell you this all himself. Couldn't you, Sebastian."

Ciel's hands jerked back and in the dim room, he watched as Sebastian's eyes fluttered open, revealing dark crimson eyes. They appeared almost black in the room and Ciel took a step back, putting more space between them.

"How did you know?" Sebastian rasped.

"I know you," Undertaker answered and moved closer, leaving Ciel alone at the head of the cot. "Come on, let's get you up and fed. You're probably starving."

Sebastian grunted as Undertaker helped him sit up and Ciel could see pain flickering across his face. "I'm always starving," he stated. His hand rose to press against his head, seemingly to help stave away a headache before his eyes darted over to Ciel and then back again. "You know that."

Undertaker didn't answer and instead reached into his jacket. "Here, it's a days old. Still warm from the microwave," he said and looked towards Ciel, giving him a meaningful look. "Unless you'd rather have something hot and fresh."

Ciel tensed and raised his chin at the words, but otherwise didn't run away. He knew what Undertaker suggested, but he found himself at a loss once more. Was this how Sebastian fed? He had an idea, judging from their past encounters and the needles splayed out before him, but he couldn't get himself to wrap his mind around it. A vampire that needed to eat via injections? It didn't seem right and Ciel couldn't figure out why Sebastian didn't just drink the blood he needed from a glass.

"No," Sebastian said quickly and shook his head. He ground his teeth together and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm not drinking from him."

"But it's fresh," Undertaker hissed. "You know that'll help more than this old stuff and you need it right now."

Sebastian growled low in his chest. "You haven't even asked him yet," he stated and his hand reached for the container in Undertaker's hand. It shook violently and Ciel worried Sebastian would drop the glass jar. "This will work."

Ciel clicked his tongue. "I can help," he said. "I don't know exactly what's going on because _someone_ won't tell me," he said and glared at Undertaker, "but I think I know the gist."

"No," Sebastian repeated. "I'm not about to drag you into this too."

"You already did the night we met again outside the club," Ciel said firmly and rolled up his sleeves. "And I'm tired of everyone telling me it's complicated and won't give me answers. I want answers, Sebastian. And judging by the way your body is shaking right now; I'd say you want my blood. So how about we trade?"

Undertaker giggled. "I like him, Sebastian. I say we keep him around for a while."

Sebastian snarled, but it sounded weak to Ciel's ears and to him, Sebastian looked more like a startled kitten trying to look intimidating. "And I'm still saying no," he said. "You have no idea what's going on and what you're doing."

"Then tell me," Ciel snapped, losing patience with Sebastian. He couldn't understand why the vampire wanted to turn down someone who willingly offered fresh blood when he clearly needed it.

"You shouldn't even be here," Sebastian protested weakly. His eyes narrowed at Undertaker. "I suspect the only reason he even found the tunnels is because you let him find the stairwell."

A smile overtook Undertaker's face and he spread his arms wide. "You have no proof of that," he said and waved over Ciel. "But he's here now and you can't do anything about it, really. He demanded to stay and help, and seeing as he's offering so willingly, I say we take him up on the offer."

His hand circled around Ciel's arm and something cold pressed up against Ciel's skin. Before he could question the chilled touch, Ciel felt pain race throughout the area and warmth spilled out onto his skin. He looked at the spot as Undertaker removed his hand, seeing a glint of silver in the faint light vanish into the folds of Undertaker's jacket and understanding blossomed in Ciel's mind.

Blood trickled down Ciel's arm and he turned to look at Sebastian, silently gauging his action. If Ciel knew one thing, a vampire couldn't resist the smell of fresh blood. It happened several times at the apartment around Claude and the vampire was always quick to excuse himself whenever it happened.

"Well," Ciel prompted and held out his hand to Sebastian, prompting him to take it.

Pink flashed through Sebastian's eyes and a harsh snarl escaped his lips. "You're an idiot," he spat and Ciel could see his body trembling where he sat on the cot. "Do you realize what you just did?"

"I believe so," Ciel stated. "You already know that I'm familiar with vampires, so don't criticize me by believing that I know nothing. I can tell that you're hungry. So take it before I force you to drink."

"Force me to drink?" Sebastian echoed, his tone amused despite the situation. He chuckled and reached behind him from a needle. "Good luck with that one, Ciel," he said and inserted the tip of the needle into the jar of blood.

Ciel watched as he extracted the liquid from inside until the needle appeared full. He waited until Sebastian set the container down before striding forward, holding his arm up for Sebastian to see. Fury bubbled within his chest, annoyed that Sebastian couldn't see reason and hurt that the vampire didn't find him good enough to drink from. Even starving and weak, he refused Ciel's offer when he clearly needed it. The thought stung.

Sebastian flinched when Ciel shoved his arm in Sebastian's face. "Drink it, you fucking stubborn vampire," he spat, pushing the cut closer to Sebastian's mouth. Some sane part of his mind screamed at him to stop, to wrap the injury before the vampire lost control. Another part of his mind argued that Sebastian couldn't kill him without his fangs and that if it came to down to it, Undertaker would protect him. Probably. Pink bled into Sebastian's eyes and Ciel grinned victoriously, ignoring the conflicting trains of thought. "That's right, you know you want it."

He grunted as Sebastian pulled him closer – his hands gripping tightly at Ciel's wrist and hips, holding him securely in place – and his mouth sealed around the bleeding mark. Dull teeth gripped the skin and Ciel could feel Sebastian shudder against him as he sucked at the cut, pulling the blood into his mouth. It felt surreal and Ciel could only imagine that Alois felt the same way when Claude fed from him. In a strange way, it felt nice and made Ciel feel wanted.

A whimper sounded from the back of Sebastian's throat and Ciel glanced down at him, noting that his face appeared pained. The motions against the cut stopped and even Undertaker fell uncharacteristically silent next to Ciel when just moments before, he couldn't stop giggling at the situation.

"What's wrong?" Ciel asked, turning to Undertaker.

"You put him in a relatively difficult spot with your action there," Undertaker answered. "I planned to do something else with the fresh blood you offered; however, I didn't think you would go that far. But you know a vampire cannot fight instinct when someone shoves fresh blood into their face. Now we wait."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed at the words. They didn't make sense and he couldn't see what he did wrong. Sebastian needed fresh blood, didn't he?

He hissed when Sebastian pushed him away and stumbled backwards as the vampire twisted on the cot. Undertaker caught him and pulled him back further as Sebastian started to cough violently until the sounds turned into retching. Something wet splattered against the stone floor and Sebastian's shoulders shook at the effort it took for his body to expel the contents in his stomach.

The metallic scent of blood hit Ciel's nose and he swayed on the spot, feeling nausea threaten to overtake him. He covered his nose and squeezed his eyes shut to stave off the feeling. "What happened?" he asked between deep breaths.

"It made him sick," Undertaker explained. "In a way, your blood is like poison to him right now."

Ciel felt disheartened and his shoulders slumped. "Why my blood?" he asked. "Why just me?"

Undertaker clicked his tongue. "It's not just you. This would happen to anyone if they tried to feed him this way." They looked up as Sebastian's actions quieted and he carefully guided Ciel closer. "Blood is a double edge sword for vampires. As strange as it may seem."

"Sebastian," Ciel started and reached for the vampire. The labored breathing sent chills down his spine and Ciel paused in his actions, uncertain how Sebastian would feel about Ciel touching him now. "I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen."

"You didn't know," Sebastian rasped. "Hand me the needle, please."

Ciel complied without protest and kept his mouth closed while Sebastian injected the blood into his body. A soft noise left Sebastian as the liquid raced through his veins and the harsh breathing seemed to calm a bit. Ciel wilted in relief and he ran a hand over his face, relieved that Sebastian sounded better.

"How is it?" Undertaker asked next to him.

"Disgusting," Sebastian answered. "It lukewarm at best and I can feel it moving slowly through my veins. It leaves for an unpleasant experience."

Undertaker gestured towards Ciel. "We still have a fresh and willing source to counter that." His lips quirked. "We'll just do it properly this time."

Ciel glanced at Undertaker. "What happened last time?" A disgruntled noise left Sebastian's mouth and Ciel scowled at him. "If you had just answered my questions in the beginning, this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

"Stubborn," Sebastian growled.

"I could say the same for you," Ciel retorted and held Sebastian's glare.

Undertaker giggled. "I really like him, Sebastian." He held up the jar. "I'll go heat this up and while I do, you can explain everything to him. He's not going away."

Sebastian blew out a puff of air. "I noticed," he drawled and waved Undertaker away. "Very well. Go do what you need to do."

Undertaker offered a parting wave before vanishing from the room, leaving Ciel alone with Sebastian. He eyed Sebastian expectantly, waiting impatiently for the vampire to begin answering his questions. "Well," he prompted when Sebastian didn't say anything.

"Where do I start?" Sebastian countered. "You clearly have many questions."

The statement made Ciel pause and he realized he didn't have any idea where to begin. All the questions within him swirled about his mind at a dizzying rate and Ciel found it difficult to select the ones he wanted answered first.

"Why don't you have fangs?" he finally asked. It seemed like a good starting point.

"I lost them in a fight," Sebastian answered, his voice guarded carefully and Ciel could tell it wasn't a fond memory. "The vampire who won tore them from my mouth, knowing that it would weaken me and most likely kill me."

Ciel bit his lip, remembering how Sebastian struggled to fight against Claude the night at the club. He wanted to ask if Claude was the vampire who crippled Sebastian in such a way, but something told Ciel that he wasn't. Claude's actions that night seemed more reserved and Sebastian's tone sounded almost begging. If they were enemies, Claude wouldn't have held back.

He glanced at Sebastian, pondering his next question. The first answer only stemmed more questions; whom did he fight and what was it about? What about that night at the club? What did it all mean? And what was his relationship with Claude? Clearly they knew each other, but to what extent? More questions than answers swirled about him and Ciel had a feeling he wouldn't reach the bottom anytime soon.

"So when a vampire loses their teeth," Ciel began slowly. "They lose the ability to feed, thus weakening them."

Sebastian nodded. "In a general sense," he said. "We need our fangs in order to fed, not just because it brings the blood to the surface, but the venom in the fangs breaks down the blood and cleans it of toxins. It mixes with the blood as we drink, making it easier for our bodies to accept it. Without that venom mixed with the blood, we can't drink."

"And that's why you threw up earlier," Ciel finished. "Your body couldn't handle my blood in its….contaminated state, if you will."

"Exactly," Sebastian answered. "Even if I managed to feed from someone, it wouldn't do me any good. My enemy knew that and left me crippled."

Ciel frowned. "But you found a way around it," he said.

Sebastian shrugged. "In a manner of speaking. It's not the best means by far, but it's the only way I can feed without poisoning myself." He looked at the needle. "It's disgusting and nowhere near as nutritious for me, but necessary."

"How do you counter the lack of venom?" Ciel questioned. He imagined the blood would still turn to poison without it, no matter how Sebastian got it inside his body.

"I mix it together with venom that I acquired from another vampire," Sebastian said. "After that, I can inject it safely."

Ciel's frown deepened as he turned the words over in his head. They didn't make sense in some aspects. He imagined that the venom differed for each vampire, customized for his or her body. Just as humans had the same, but different blood types. What worked for one, didn't always work for another.

"So you just selected a vampire at random for their venom and it worked with no side effects?" he asked.

Sebastian shrugged. "We got lucky," he said simply and Ciel knew not to push anymore for questions.

"Why inject the blood then?" Ciel asked instead. "Why not just mix the venom and blood, and then drink it like normal? Seems as though it would be a lot easier than using the needles like you do."

A shake of the head. "That only works in movies. When they show vampires drinking blood from blood packets, it's all a lie. Stored blood is thick, even when warmed. It coagulates and it's akin to drinking syrup for us," Sebastian said, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "Fresh blood directly from the source is the only way for us to drink. It's hot, thin, and hasn't started to thicken yet. It makes it easier to digest."

"Injecting it directly into the veins tricks my body into believing I drank something fresh and allows it to accept the blood," Sebastian continued. "But as I can only take stored blood right now, it does nothing for me but quell my hunger. Fresh blood gives the most strength whereas stored blood only satisfies hunger. As of now, I'm almost as weak as a human. No offense."

Ciel cocked his head, brushing off the light insult. "Why don't you inject yourself with fresh blood then? I would think it would help you heal faster and all that, right?"

Sebastian looked away. "I can't right now. Gaining strength again would draw attention to me," he said and clamped his mouth shut, clearly not in the mood to elaborate.

"I assume this is one of those 'it's complicated moments,'" Ciel drawled.

Sebastian chuckled and even in the dim lighting, Ciel could see his the laughter in his eyes. "Yes. I apologize. But this one truly is for your safety. Perhaps one day, when the dust settles." He cocked his head. "Do you have any other questions?"

Ciel held back his laughter. "Of course," he said. "I'm full of questions right now. Like, how long will it take your fangs to grow back and is the venom in them dangerous to humans? Although Claude feeds from Alois and he's not dead yet, so I suppose it's really not. And why are you down here and what was with all the other vampires you killed yesterday? They didn't seem like friends to me. Unless you make it a habit to keep such dangerous company..."

"You're rambling," Sebastian said, cutting Ciel off with a soft smile. Ciel flushed at the words and he snapped his mouth shut. "To answer your first question, they'll grow back in several months."

"And the venom?" Ciel asked, unable to stop himself.

"It's dangerous depending on how the vampire uses the venom," Sebastian said and glanced towards the door as it opened. Light spilled into the room and he made a vague gesture to Undertaker before light filled the rest of the room.

Ciel winced at the bright light and rubbed at his eyes. "Warning next time," he said and blinked several times to clear them.

Undertaker giggled. "You tend to get used to it after a while," he said and passed the jar over to Sebastian. "That should be about the right temperature. I checked it on a subject and they held it down."

A soft grunt left Sebastian's mouth as he reached for another needle. In the fresh light, Ciel could see the way crimson eyes dilated and how pink began to bleed into them once more. It looked frightening, yet hypnotizing at the same time and Ciel couldn't look away as Sebastian injected himself with the needle.

The red liquid vanished into Sebastian's body, drawing a pleased sigh from the vampire. His shoulders slumped and for several minutes, Sebastian simply sat still and Ciel feared that his body wouldn't accept the blood again. Then he moved, reaching for the jar once more to repeat the same process.

"The venom in our fangs help us feed from humans by temporarily weakening our targets," Sebastian said without warning as he filled the next needle. "For those who don't have willing humans, the venom relaxes the muscles and often causes the victim to forget the feeding. Claude wouldn't have to do that to Alois, as Alois is more than willing to feed Claude when needed."

Ciel grimaced. "I noticed," he said, easily remembering the times he walked in on Claude drinking from Alois. It led to several awkward moments and hurried explanations. And other times, rather scarring moments. "What about when it is dangerous?"

Sebastian frowned. "The venom, when forced into a human for purposes other than feeding, can lead to a changing," he said and looked away. "Therein lies the tricky part. Too much venom can kill a human as it overtakes their body and destroys it. Too little can only mimic the effects of vampire abilities before it fades. Just enough and you can turn a human."

"That's not wholly dangerous," Ciel said. "I mean, I can see the first two as dangerous, but not the last one. From what I heard, vampires change people all the time. Right?"

Undertaker and Sebastian shared a look. "Not usually," Undertaker answered. "Raising a newborn vampire takes time and a great deal of patience. And only those with experience can turn humans without any adverse side-effects."

Ciel's eyes narrowed. "Such as?"

"Newborns don't take to the change as well as they first expect," Sebastian said carefully. "For starters, the senses magnify tenfold. You can hear everything. Even down here, you can hear traffic above. It's enough to drive newborns insane."

"Plus the need to feed," Undertaker said, picking up from Sebastian. "The burning feeling and the unquenchable thirst that affects all newborns can leave them to slaughter a whole family within minutes."

Sebastian hummed as he injected the needle, his features a mix of relief and disgust at the same time. "The vampire who turns the human must watch and care for the newborn until they can handle themselves. Usually that takes at least a half a century." He eased the needle out of the vein. "Most though, don't stick around after the change or end up abandoning the newborn within a year or so."

Ciel eyed Sebastian carefully. "You're awfully knowledgeable on the subject," he pointed out.

Low laughter left both Sebastian and Undertaker's mouth. "I should hope so," Sebastian said. "It's my job. Rather, it's our job," he corrected and set the needle aside. He passed the empty jar back to Undertaker, who took it with a soft word.

"But you're not going to explain that to me, are you," Ciel finished.

Undertaker shook his head. "Not yet," he said. "In fact, I think you've reached your limit of questions for the night."

"That's not fair," Ciel protested. "I've barely brushed the surface."

"You know more than most humans though," Sebastian said. "Even your friend, Alois, doesn't know all this. If you so much as breathed a word of it to anyone, every vampire within a hundred mile radius would come to your doorstep within hours."

Ciel ran a hand over his face. "So why did you tell me all this?" he asked. "You could've just said no, you know!"

Sebastian smirked. "As though that would've stopped you," he said and stood up from the cot. He appeared a little shaky on his feet but he didn't collapse to the floor. "But maybe I decided to tell you because I knew that once I did, you couldn't leave these tunnels. Maybe I did it so I could use you as leverage against Claude."

He took a step forward and before Ciel could open his mouth to argue, Sebastian closed the distance between them. Ciel's head reared back and his eyes widened as a hand circled around his neck. Sebastian's head dipped and his mouth hovered close to Ciel's cheek, hot breath ghosting just across his skin. It sent a fine shiver down Ciel's spine and he squeezed his eyes shut as Sebastian's tongue traced the shell of his ear.

"Or maybe I did it to bind you to me. An endless, fresh source of food for me," Sebastian murmured in his ear, his hand cupping Ciel's check while another drew him closer. "Knowing that you could never escape these tunnels, even if you tried."

Ciel whimpered despite himself and he remained frozen in Sebastian's grip. "You wouldn't," he whispered. "You wouldn't."

Sebastian's hands loosened around him and dropped away. He took a step back from Ciel, watching him carefully with a guarded face. "You're right," he said and Ciel looked up at him, shaken from the encounter. "I wouldn't. But others out there wouldn't hesitate. You have to be careful with who you trust, Ciel."

A fine tremor worked its way through Ciel's body and it took everything in him to remain standing. His legs shook and Sebastian caught him before they could give out. Ciel startled as Sebastian's arms circled around him and he tilted his head up to look at Sebastian, gazing into darkened crimson eyes.

"You," he started but the words didn't form properly. He could barely think and his mind felt clouded. It never even crossed his mind that Sebastian could just as easily keep him down here as he could save him. Claude warned him that Sebastian was a dangerous vampire; fangs or not. And in retrospect, any vampire was a dangerous one. Even the weakest of the weak could overpower him. What made Sebastian any different? "You wouldn't," he repeated.

"I won't hurt you, Ciel," Sebastian cooed softly. "And I promise that no other vampire will either. You are under my protection, of that I swear," he said, leaning down and letting his lips brush against the underside of Ciel's jaw.

"Sebastian!" Undertaker snapped from the other side of the room. "Still your tongue," he hissed.

Sebastian pulled back slowly and Ciel could see the pink fading away from the corners of his eyes. "Apologies," he said quietly. "Undertaker will take you back and show you a place to shower."

Ciel blinked and stared at Sebastian, uncertain of what happened between them moments prior. He wanted to reach for the vampire but something in him told Ciel that it wasn't for the best right now. Fear didn't stop him, but rather the haunted look in Sebastian's eyes stilled his hand and Ciel took a step back towards Undertaker.

"Why do I need to shower?" he asked.

"You smell like me," Sebastian answered, his expression guarded once more. "Your clothes need washed as well, if you hope to get past Claude. Otherwise, he's likely to lock you up in your apartment."

Ciel frowned, uncertain why Sebastian closed off so quickly and without warning. Was it because he felt he scared Ciel with his actions earlier? Or was there another underlying reason that Ciel couldn't see just yet.

He shook his head as Undertaker started to lead him away from Sebastian and out of the room. The locks unlatched and Ciel caught sight of crimson eyes one last time before the door closed once more behind them, the tumblers turning and locking. A second passed and Ciel jumped as something shattered in the room, and only Undertaker's firm grip on his upper arm kept him from running back to the door.

"What happened?" he protested as they moved down the dark hallway. "What if he's hurt? We need to go back and help him."

"He lost his temper," Undertaker said. "Nothing more."

Ciel scowled. "And before that?" he asked. "I know he just wanted to make a point and I understand that. He didn't scare me that badly that I'm terrified of him now."

Undertaker jerked his arm, pulling them to an abrupt stop. "You should be," he hissed. "Sebastian is dangerous, despite how weak he looks."

The scowl deepened. "Everyone keeps telling me that, but no one bothers to elaborate," Ciel growled out and gestured wildly with his hand. "What about him is so dangerous that he has to stay down here and I have to wash every speck of scent from my body? Why should I stay away and fear him when he saved my life?"

"Because he has enemies, Ciel," Undertaker said and his grip tightened on Ciel's arm. "Enemies that would gladly torture you to find his whereabouts or kill you just to hurt him. When we say he's dangerous, we don't just mean dangerous in a physical sense but also in a broad sense. The closer you get to him, the more danger you put yourself in."

Ciel's eyes darted across Undertaker's face, noticing the uncharacteristic seriousness that overtook his features. Yet hidden beyond that, Ciel could see something else lurking in the shadows of his eyes. Something that told him Undertaker knew more but refused to talk about it. Something that dealt with Sebastian.

Something that could lead to Sebastian's death. And the thought terrified him.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: For some reason, FF has been fighting me when it comes to uploading new chapters. I had to manual copy and paste the chapter instead of the usual upload. So if anything looks funky, please let me know! I'm posting this story on my AO3 account too - it's actually 2 chapters ahead because I'm so frustrated with FF right now, lol. So if the layout is weird here, you can head over there :) Enjoy!

Warnings: Blood, forced/non-consensual blood feeding, and language

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

* * *

4.

"Ma'am," Ciel said and tried not to rub his temples in frustration at the woman sitting in front of him. Her eyes narrowed at him, as though daring him to deliver bad news, and Ciel sat up straighter at the glare directed his way. He refused to let this woman push him around and make him bend to her will. "As I said before, we cannot clear your request for a loan so you can buy a sailboat."

The woman fumed; face flushing red. "And why not?" she demanded.

"Because you're already in debt from your husband's medical bills and you're behind on paying those," Ciel stated. "Plus you just co-signed on your son's new car. We feel as though it's in your best financial interest to hold off on such a large purchase until you've cleared out more of your bills."

"You're a horrible advisor," the woman seethed. "You're supposed to find ways around all these things so I can get what I want to buy. Instead, you're just telling me that I can't afford it."

"Because you can't," Ciel said and finally broke down, rubbing his temples. It did little to ease the headache that blossomed there and Ciel fought back the heavy sigh. A quick look at the clock showed their argument stretched well over half an hour and Ciel just wanted the woman out of his office.

He startled when she stood abruptly and grabbed her bag. "I don't need to sit here and listen to you make excuses," she hissed. "I'll see what your boss has to say about this. I'm sure she can find a way to help me buy my boat."

Ciel waved her off, not even the least bit scared. "She'll just tell you the same thing," he called as she left. "But you're welcome to try."

The door slammed shut behind her and Ciel slumped in his chair in relief. He hated clients like her and Ciel reached for his mug of tea, only to find it cold. He pushed it away with a low groan and turned to his computer instead, scanning the new headlines for the afternoon.

A red banner at the top of his home page caught his attention, the headline screaming of a new murder found in the area. The sixth one this month. Ciel shivered as the report continued to describe the details of the murder, claiming that the victim died from a slit throat; just as the others earlier that month.

The police and media called the murder a serial killer and Ciel gnawed on his lower lip, wondering if the newest strings of murders was what spooked Claude so long ago. He found it strange that Claude would fear a human killer, but Ciel tried not to question his logic. Whatever Claude's reasoning was, he still refused to lift their nighttime curfew and the newest murders only seemed to harden his resolve.

Ciel sighed and pressed the heel of his palms to his eyes. The news didn't help his mood any and he sighed heavily through his nose, forcing himself to calm down. An hour of work remained in the day and then Ciel could go home and relax. He had big plans to do absolutely nothing during the weekend and Ciel planned to make good on those plans.

A knock sounded on the door and Ciel blearily looked up at it, and then at the clock on his computer. He didn't have any scheduled appointments and Ciel could only hope the woman hadn't come back. Dealing with her again so close to leaving for the day sounded like pure torture right now. The knock came again and Ciel waved his hand at it, even though the person on the other side couldn't see him.

"Come in," he called.

The door cracked open and Ciel blinked at the figure as they slipped into his room, a smug smile on their face. "Hello little one."

Ciel scowled. "Undertaker," he said and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse."

"Your words wound me," Undertaker said and covered his heart with his hand, even though the grin on his face never once faded. "And here I come bearing good news."

"And what would that be?" Ciel asked cautiously. He kept a careful guard on any hope that threatened to spring forth and instead, aimed for a nonchalant attitude. "The last time I saw you was when we parted at your shop a week ago. Where you threatened my family, friends, my life, and my career if I so much as looked at your shop or mentioned Sebastian. Or the tunnels, for that matter."

Undertaker giggled. "And I'm pleased to see that you took the threat so seriously. It wasn't a bluff, of course. We can't have you spilling our little secret. Lives hang in the balance down there." He shrugged. "But I digress. Do you want to see Sebastian again?"

"Yes," Ciel said immediately. "How is he doing? Has he healed? And what about his fangs? Why the sudden change?"

Undertaker held up his hands. "That's far too many questions and this place is far from ideal when it comes to answering them," he said. "But I'm glad to see your concern for his health is real."

Ciel bristled. "Of course it is," he snapped. If Undertaker hadn't placed such strong restraints on him, Ciel would've gone to find Sebastian again within the following day. As it was though, both Undertaker and Claude kept his hands tied on the matter. "Do you have any idea how crazy I went staying locked up in my apartment? I worried about him every night and you," he cut himself off with a frustrated noise. He doubted Undertaker would understand.

"It was for the best. For both you and us as well. Even Claude," Undertaker said, his voice unusually serious.

"And now?" Ciel questioned.

Undertaker shrugged. "Things have calmed slightly and we know you're trustworthy. Plus Sebastian wants to see you again, for reasons I'm not privy to share."

Ciel stared at him and couldn't stop the warmth from reaching his cheeks. The thought that Sebastian wanted to see him again made him feel wanted and for a moment, Ciel couldn't help but wonder if Alois felt the same way with Claude. The power rush that came from the knowledge proved heady and Ciel sucked in a careful breath between his teeth. "I thought that after last time...You know, the poisoning and whatnot," Ciel said. "He wouldn't want to see me again."

A small hum. "He knows that you meant well," Undertaker said and leaned against Ciel's desk. "But if you decide that you want to see him, we need to go about the meeting this time a little differently. I noticed your guard dog still hounds you."

Ciel's nose crinkled at the reminder. "Yes. Claude hasn't exactly let up on his questioning or watching me since I came home late that night." He frowned. "I could hear him sniffing me right after I walked in the door."

"That sounds like him," Undertaker cackled and his eyes closed as he continued to laugh. "Ah, I can't wait to tell Sebastian that."

Ciel perked up at the words. "Did they know each other?" he asked and Undertaker quieted quickly. "Sebastian and Claude, I mean."

"Ah," Undertaker said. "Well, in order to get around that guard dog of yours, I've devised a plan that will help keep suspicion off you. Do you know McMillan from accounting?"

"No," Ciel said and it didn't escape him that Undertaker didn't answer his question but rather shoved it under the rug for now. "I don't venture down to the accounting floor, so we've probably never met."

Undertaker chuckled. "You're about to," he said. "McMillan is an informant of mine and also owns one of those houses that I told you about before. One of the ones that connect to the tunnels."

Ciel sat up straighter. Ever since Undertaker first mentioned that other safe houses existed, he wondered where they were. However, the threat against everything he valued kept him from searching from them, no matter how much he wanted to find them. Ciel had no doubt that Undertaker had eyes throughout the city, watching and reporting on him. Now, with Undertaker practically dangling the offer in front of him, Ciel had to keep himself from squirming like a child on Christmas.

"If you tell Claude that you're staying with a co-worker, he can't very well refuse you," Undertaker continued. "He'll walk you to his house, I'm sure. But as McMillian is a human, he won't give any reason for Claude to suspect him."

Blue eyes narrowed. "And you're not?" Ciel questioned, although he already had an inkling that Undertaker wasn't human. What creature of the night he was though, Ciel didn't have the faintest idea and a part of him wondered if he even wanted to know.

"Perhaps later," Undertaker said with a grin. "Right now, we need to focus on getting you to Sebastian safely. I have no doubt that Claude will watch the house for a while to make sure you don't leave. But as the house connects to the tunnels, you can leave without him noticing."

"Like the Underground Railroad," Ciel muttered, feeling excited at tricking Claude.

He knew he should feel bad and perhaps a bit anxious at descending into the darkness to meet Sebastian again, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything but excited. Something in him told Ciel that Sebastian wasn't dangerous. Sebastian had the chance to kill him several times already, but each time, the vampire held back.

"Exactly," Undertaker answered. "We have a spare set of clothes for you to change into once you arrive. The less your clothes smell like Sebastian or myself, the better. You can shower and change at McMillan's place when you come back and Claude will be none the wiser."

Ciel couldn't help but shake his head. Clearly, a lot of thought went into the designing of this little plan and Ciel wondered what other tricks Sebastian had up his sleeves. "Anything else?"

Undertaker nodded. "Yes. You'll need his address, which is on this card here." He passed over a small business card to Ciel. "And you'll need to bring at least two bottles of whipped cream. We're running a little low at the moment."

Ciel sputtered. "Whipped cream?" he asked.

"In a bottle," Undertaker said with a grin. "You know, like the kind you use for pies and whatnot?"

"I know what you mean," Ciel said, waving a hand at Undertaker. "What I don't understand is why I need one."

Undertaker shrugged with a grin. "We have our reasons."

Ciel shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Sounds kinky."

"Just make sure you bring them," Undertaker said and pointed at the card. "We'll see you tonight at about seven or so. Don't keep us waiting."

He giggled and swept out of the room before Ciel could say anything else, and Ciel could only stare at the card. And wonder how whipped cream played into everything.

 **.:|Under These City Streets|:.**

Dusk settled low across the sky, lengthening the shadows into long shapeless objects scattered throughout the ground. Autumn fast approached and Ciel tugged up the collar on his jacket to stave off the chill of the evening as he waited in front of a tan colored door. Next to him stood Claude, the ever-faithful vampire watchdog, and Ciel barely stopped himself from laughing at the thought. Not that Claude did anything to help his reputation, what with the way he sniffed the air and his eyes darted about at every little sound.

"Will you just relax already?" Ciel muttered as he rang the doorbell again. "I told you, he's just a co-worker."

"You've never mentioned anything about him before," Claude said stiffly.

Ciel sighed. "Because I knew you would act this way. I mean honestly, do you blame me?" He clicked his tongue. "I'm worried you'll rip his head off or something if he so much as looks at me the wrong way when he answers the door."

Claude smirked. "I could," he said and his fingers flexed at the mere thought. "He wouldn't even see it coming."

"Claude," Ciel hissed and shot him a nasty look. "Behave. Or I'll tell Alois what you said."

Claude huffed and then tensed as someone approached the door. Or rather, Ciel assumed someone did, he couldn't hear things on the same level as Claude did. "I don't just do it to be an ass, you know," Claude said softly as a light clicked on inside. "If something happened to you, Alois would feel devastated and I hate seeing him sad. I do it for him as much as I do for you. Any vampire would for their mate."

Ciel blinked, surprise crashing over him in waves. "You," he started but the door opened, cutting him off and Ciel swallowed the remaining words that rested on his tongue.

"Ciel!" McMillan greeted warmly from inside the house. His eyes darted up to Claude. "And uh, friend."

"Claude," Ciel said and gestured at the vampire. "He just wanted to make sure I arrived safely." He rolled his eyes.

However, McMillan nodded solemnly. "I don't blame him. With the new strand of murders, you cannot be too careful. My mother still worries about me." He beamed at Ciel. "You're lucky you have such a good friend who worries about you like that."

Claude puffed up, looking far too pleased with himself at McMillan's words. Ciel rolled his eyes and he caught McMillan smothering a smile behind his hand at Claude's actions. "Well," Ciel said, trying not to laugh. "I'll let you get going then, Claude. Have a good weekend with Alois. And please, don't destroy the apartment. Again."

"I offer no promises," Claude said, his tone laced with amusement. "Have a good time."

He gave a small wave and Ciel stepped inside the house, letting the door shut behind him. "Finally," Ciel said with a slump of his shoulders. He reared back a second later as McMillan clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Quiet," McMillan whispered and guided Ciel further into the house. "He can still hear us and if he suspects anything, I don't doubt that he'll come back in."

Ciel nodded and dropped his bags to the floor. "So what did you plan to do first?" he asked, hoping his voice didn't sound too strained. He hated that he didn't think about Claude listening to their conversation and that McMillan seemed to know more about vampires than him. "Pizza, games, movies?"

McMillan chuckled. "I say we order pizza. I got home just a bit ago, so I'm starving. My boss kept me late, complaining about meeting fiscal needs for the upcoming year even though it is months away." They moved deeper into the house. "How was your day? I don't know about you, but I'm so glad it is Friday."

"I had a horrible lady come in right before I left," Ciel said and watched as McMillan moved about the room, silently searching the area outside the windows.

"He's still there," McMillan said softly. "He's watching from across the street to make sure we don't leave."

Ciel grinned. "Well, I am hungry."

McMillan chuckled and pulled out his phone. "What do you want on your pizza?" he asked and then lowered his voice. "He'll probably leave after the pizza man comes by. If not, we'll turn on a movie and sneak you out during it."

"Sounds good," Ciel said, already anxious to get going. He wanted to see Sebastian again, and no one, not even Claude Faustus, would stop him from seeing him.

 **.:|Under These City Streets|:.**

Ciel pressed close to Undertaker as they moved through the tunnels, ignoring the chill that bit at his fingers and nose. Next to him, Undertaker didn't appear bothered by the cold and Ciel clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering. McMillan warned him before he left – after waiting almost an hour for Claude to leave before they could sneak away to the tunnels – that the tunnels were cold and that they would only grow colder as winter approached.

A part of Ciel wanted to beg for another jacket or a thick cloak like the one Undertaker worse, but he kept his mouth shut and his hands stuffed inside his jacket. He focused instead on putting one foot in front of the other. No lights illuminated the tunnels this close to the exit points and Ciel couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face. It left him feeling a bit unnerved and Ciel tried not to dwell on Sebastian's words from before.

 _'_ _Or maybe I did it to bind you to me. An endless, fresh source of food for me. Knowing that you could never escape these tunnels, even if you tried.'_

At first, Ciel didn't understanding the true meaning behind the words. He only assumed that tunnels were more like a maze for him to get lost in. Ciel didn't think that he would run into areas bathed in pure darkness. So dark that Ciel couldn't even see or feel Undertaker next to him. If Ciel didn't have a tight grip on Undertaker's jacket, he would lose him for sure and the thought terrified Ciel more than he wanted to admit.

"We're in the clear," Undertaker murmured, breaking the still silence. "Our voices won't carry back to the house now and we're safe to talk. But we'll still keep the lights off until we reach the safe rooms."

"Of course," Ciel grumbled. "I swear you're doing this on purpose."

Undertaker chuckled. "I promise it's for your safety. If you tried to memorize the routes within the tunnels, you would only find yourself even more lost and confused. And the last thing you want to do is lose yourself down here."

Ciel snorted. "Sebastian would come find me," he said confidently. At least he hoped the vampire would. It seemed like Sebastian cared for him at least; rather, Ciel liked to think that he did. "And why did you have me bring whipped cream again?" He lifted up the bag for emphasis.

"Sebastian's request," Undertaker answered. "Maybe he wants to do terrible, kinky things to you all weekend long."

"Shut up," Ciel said, his face burning. "Honestly though. Will he give me more answers? Will _you_ give me answers? You said my office wasn't a proper place to talk. What better place to talk about things than down here? So tell me, what are you?"

Undertaker paused for a moment, his breathing hitching for a brief second before he continued once more. "What do you know of me?"

"I know you're not a vampire," Ciel said. "But aside from that, I don't have the faintest idea. A fay of some sort? Claude mentioned once that they existed."

"Oh please, no," Undertaker said with a snort. "I'm nowhere near those creatures. Sebastian plays tennis with them though if he catches them."

Ciel snorted with laughter and somehow he could easily imagine the vampire creating a sport with the small creatures. However, it didn't help answer the question as to what Undertaker was. "So," he started. "You are a…" he trailed off, waiting for Undertaker to finish the sentence.

"I'm what you would call a Grim Reaper," Undertaker said. "We monitor human deaths and ensure that the creatures of the night don't tip the scale in their favor. When too many humans die in a single place over an extended period of time, we move in and investigate the cause."

Ciel snorted. "So in some senses, you're like the Underground police."

Undertaker hummed softly. "In a very vague sense. We rarely intervene unless needed. We're better off unseen than seen," he said. "My kind doesn't get along with the remaining creatures of the night. But we're a necessary evil."

"I'm guessing you're not on good terms with the vampires either," Ciel said. He could easily see how the two factions would clash.

"We're like mortal enemies," Undertaker said. "Everyone assumes that it's vampires versus werewolves, but they're actually good friends. In tough times, they come together to help each other. They haven't fought in ages, honestly."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Another lie," he grumbled. He really wanted to find the vampires who made it their life's work to trickle the lies into society. Whoever weaved the lies did a good job. Humans lapped up the information like kittens to cream.

"It's for their protection," Undertaker answered. "Vampires prove extremely secretive despite their lavish ways. I'm sure you've noticed that with Claude."

Ciel nodded. "But if vampires and Grim Reapers hate each other, how can you and Sebastian stand to work together? I would think you would be at each other's throats." He paused. "No pun intended."

Undertaker chuckled. "I'm a bit of a rebel," he said.

"You're more than a bit," a voice drawled and Ciel looked up to see Sebastian waiting for them at a large intersection. He held a lamp in his hand and it tossed several shadows throughout the various tunnel routes. "I'd say you're a rebel through and through."

"Sebastian," Ciel breathed and clutched the sides of his pants to keep him from running towards the vampire. His eyes swept over Sebastian's body, taking in the lithe body. He didn't see any wounds on his person anymore, but Ciel didn't know what Sebastian hid under his clothes. "You look better."

Sebastian hummed softly and gestured with his head. "This way. I don't trust Undertaker to lead you through the tunnels properly."

Undertaker grumbled lowly under his breath. "I wasn't going to abandon him, Sebastian," he muttered.

"No, but you would've spread obnoxious tales about me instead," Sebastian remarked and Ciel snickered. "I see you've already started answering more of his questions."

"He asked about me," Undertaker said. "Plus, he brought you whipped cream. I don't think you have a right to complain."

Sebastian perked up and crimson eyes zeroed in on the bag that dangled from Ciel's hand. "Is it from a can?"

Ciel nodded. "Yeah," he said, still puzzled over the whole thing. Moreover, did it honestly matter if it came in a can or a container? He rolled his eyes and didn't bother to question the subject. Knowing his luck, Sebastian planned to use it for something kinky, just as Undertaker said earlier. The thought made his ears burn and Ciel pointedly pushed it from his thoughts.

"Good," Sebastian said and turned back around. "Undertaker isn't the only rebel. You can say that I'm one as well," he continued, switching subjects without warning.

"I noticed," Ciel said. "So you two are what, boyfriends? The supernatural versions of Romeo and Juliet?"

The lamp nearly crashed to the floor and Sebastian barely caught the device in time, while behind him, Undertaker burst out in laughter. Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed and his expression soured, reminding Ciel of the time he forced Sebastian to drink his blood.

"He thinks," Undertaker gasped for breath behind him. "He thought you and I," he started before collapsing to the floor in another bout of laughter.

Ciel scowled, annoyed at having his assumptions tossed back in his face. He went to chew Undertaker out, but stopped when a hand fell on his shoulder. "Leave him," Sebastian said, a smirk on his face. "He can find his own way back."

"I'm fine with that," Ciel mumbled as they started walking again, the small lamp lighting a narrow section before them as they left Undertaker in the dark.

"We're not dating," Sebastian said after they rounded a corner, even though Ciel could still hear Undertaker's gasping laughter bouncing throughout the tunnels. "We have a working relationship, if you will. One built upon the need to handle a current situation."

Ciel clicked his tongue. "You two are friends," he said, easily reading between the lines.

Sebastian smirked. "Perhaps. But we're not dating." His eyes darted to Ciel briefly and then back towards the tunnel. "He already has himself another Grim Reaper that he fancies."

They came to a stop in front of a room and Sebastian keyed in a code before the door opened. Sebastian ushered him inside and Ciel glanced over his shoulder. "So what about you?" he asked carefully. "Don't you have someone?"

"No," Sebastian said quickly and reached for Ciel's bag. He wasted little time digging around inside to find the can of whipped cream. "I lost my fangs. No vampire would want me as a mate."

The word tickled something in Ciel's mind and he watched as Sebastian popped the top off the can. "Claude said something about Alois being his mate," he said quietly as Sebastian shook the bottle. "At least in a roundabout way, he did."

Sebastian paused, his face carefully guarded. "Did he?" he asked. "I'm not surprised really. That's good though. Still." He trailed off, a pensive look twisting his features before he tilted his head back and squirted the whipped cream into his mouth.

The noise filled the room and Ciel could only stare as Sebastian cleaned off the tip of the can after swallowing the fluffy topping before repeating the process. "That's why you wanted the whipped cream?" he asked as Sebastian set the bottle down and capped it again. "Here I thought it was for some special reason."

Sebastian chuckled. "No special reason. I just like the taste. I've developed a terrible craving for the stuff ever since I lost my teeth," he said and nudged the can away. "It could be worse, I suppose."

Ciel shook his head. "But still. Whipped cream? And you eat it straight from the can, too."

Sebastian looked perplexed. "What better way to eat it? It's human ingenuity at its finest," he stated and gestured at the can. "Would you like to try some?"

"I'll pass," Ciel said with a chuckle. "But I'll take your word for it."

Sebastian shrugged and carried the can off to the kitchen, leaving Ciel to run his hand through his hair with a slight laugh. He couldn't believe that Sebastian would have such a strange quirk, but he found it more amusing than not. Sebastian constantly surprised him no matter what the situation, and Ciel found that he enjoyed discovering the small quirks that made up Sebastian. They made him seem almost more human than a vampire and even though Ciel knew that was dangerous, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

He looked up as Sebastian entered the room again, the small smudge of white on the corner of his lips giving him away. Ciel couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up in his throat, knowing that Sebastian snuck another taste. He seemed almost completely different from the vampire that saved him last week. Gone was the aggression that appeared when Ciel's life hung in the balance and without the threat of danger, Sebastian appeared at ease as he moved about the small room. Ciel assumed that Sebastian fed already, given that he didn't look nearly as starved and weak as he did before.

"How are you doing?" Ciel asked before he could stop himself.

Sebastian sat down on the cot. "I've been better, but I'm mostly recovered from that attack last week."

"Mostly?" Ciel repeated.

Sebastian nodded. "I still have a few wounds that have yet to heal fully. They'll heal though and so long as I don't get into any more fights, I should be okay."

Ciel frowned. "But still," he said and fidgeted uneasily where he sat. It didn't sit well with him that Sebastian still had lingering injuries. "What happens if those vampires attack you again?"

"Those vampires that did attack us are dead," Sebastian said bluntly. "I made sure of that."

"But what about others?" Ciel pushed.

Sebastian shook his head. "The only reason they attacked us in the first place is because you injured yourself on your way down. They smelled the blood and rushed off before Undertaker and I could control them. Newborns are difficult that way."

Ciel swallowed. "Those were newborns?" he asked. "All of them?"

Sebastian nodded and looked away briefly, his features growing tense. "What do you know about the recent string of murders, Ciel?" he questioned seriously, his tone making Ciel grow uneasy.

"I," Ciel started and the uneasy feeling within him blossomed into something far more painful. Why was Sebastian asking him this? Did he have something to do with the serial killings? His stomach lurched and Ciel clutched at the side of the desk to keep himself grounded. "Are you behind them?" he whispered, the sound quiet to even his own ears but he knew Sebastian could hear him.

Crimson eyes widened briefly, before Sebastian shook his head with a soft click of his tongue. "No," he said and the previous fear Ciel felt quickly left him and the feeling of embarrassment filled him instead. "But in a way, Undertaker and I are related to the murders."

Ciel shivered. "How so?" he asked.

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. "The killings are vampire related," he started. "That's why all the necks are slashed the way they are. It hides the puncture marks and keeps the police from suspecting any supernatural involvement. Not that they could stop the attackers," he finished with a shrug.

"But why does it involve you?" Ciel asked, struggling to understand Sebastian's involvement with the crimes. "You're not the one doing the killing and surely, you're not the one pulling the strings. All things considering," he finished with a mumble, feeling awkward about pointing out Sebastian's lack of fangs and his social status within the vampire community.

"I'm wanted dead," Sebastian quietly and Ciel's mouth snapped shut, teeth clicking together. "Because I went against the vampire responsible for the killings. The vampires out there are her newborns; humans turned into vampires simply because they thought they wanted to be a vampire. But that's all she does for them."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed. "He doesn't raise them after turning them," he finished, easily remembering the previous conversation between them. "He just let them loose upon the city to do as they will."

Sebastian nodded. "She, technically, but yes. She hasn't bothered to raise them and she's turned too many at one time to control them all."

"But what does that have to do with you?" Ciel asked as the door clicked open behind him. He glanced over his shoulder as Undertaker slunk in and then turned his attention back to Sebastian. "I assume you went against her reasoning and lost."

"Yes," Sebastian said. "I said that she would draw too much attention to us, and she challenged me. We fought and I lost," he finished and looked at Undertaker.

"And he's been in hiding ever since," Undertaker said. "If Angela realizes that Sebastian still lives, especially within her territory, she'll finish the job. It's even more dangerous for Sebastian now, as he's working with me."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "It's always dangerous working with you. Both physically and mentally," he said. "I swear every time we meet, I lose brain cells."

Undertaker grunted. "Yet you sit here and insult me. This is the thanks I get for bringing Ciel back down here for you."

Ciel hummed softly at the statement. "And that reminds me," he said, silencing the two supernatural beings. "Why did you decide to bring me back down here? If things are so dangerous, including Sebastian, then why bring me back?"

Sebastian and Undertaker glanced at each other, and Ciel could almost see their thoughts darting between them. In some senses, he felt jealous that they had such a dynamic and tight friendship. More so of Undertaker than Sebastian. Ciel wanted to be the one that Sebastian called on more than Undertaker.

He wanted to have Sebastian's attention, as childish and pathetic as it sounded. But who could blame Ciel? Sebastian was a vampire and an attractive one at that. Far better looking than Claude. Anyone would want him. But more than just attraction drove Ciel towards Sebastian. He admired the vampire for his courage and strength, not to mention his smarts. Sebastian fought off his fair share of vampires and won, despite the overwhelming numbers against him. On top of that, he found a way to keep himself alive when others would've quit.

Ciel didn't know many people - let alone vampires - that would continue to fight through such appalling odds and still come out on top.

"Well?" he asked as the silence stretched between them.

Undertaker shifted, a smirk stretching across his face. "Sebastian requested that I bring you," he said and Ciel could see Sebastian's shoulders stiffen from the corner of his eyes.

"Undertaker," Sebastian snarled, the sound vibrating deep within his chest.

The noise didn't bother Undertaker and if anything, made the smirk stretch further. "I'll just leave you two to talk," he said with a light giggle and trotted out of the room.

The door shut softly behind him and Ciel couldn't help but wonder if this was Undertaker's revenge for leaving him out in the hallway. Somehow, he didn't doubt it. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and blue eyes flickered over to Sebastian. "Sebastian?" he questioned and took a tentative step towards him.

Sebastian sighed and glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "Knowing all that you know about me," he started. "My lack of fangs, my limited strength, and my banishment. All that on top of the dangerous situation I'm in, why did you come back when Undertaker offered you the chance?"

Ciel faltered slightly, not expecting the question to turn back towards him. "I, I wanted to see you again," he said honestly, and his face burned from his words. "I don't really care that others consider you a weak vampire, barely worthy of fear. To me, you're just Sebastian and that's all I really need. It's all I've known of you, so what more do I need?"

A low chuckle left Sebastian's mouth. "Nearly three months have passed since I lost that fight," he said and his eyes traveled to the neglected needles that sat on a table further away. "And I've only had Undertaker for company during those times, and as you can see, he's not the best company."

Ciel laughed and took another step closer. His fingers itched to touch Sebastian again, just as he did the night Sebastian lay so vulnerable on the cot. To feel the soft skin and hair below his fingertips, and know that Sebastian trusted him enough to get that close. It wasn't about bragging rights, but the warmth that it brought Ciel to know that someone trusted him wholly with a secret of this size.

He reached forward, but froze as Sebastian continued speaking. "I've lost my friends and allies that night. Everything slipped through my fingers, and I only barely caught what remained of my life." His eyes fluttered shut. "I'm constantly on my guard and I can't let my trust waver, yet I find myself trusting you and wanting to let you in."

"Is that so bad?" Ciel questioned. "To let me in and trust me?"

"In some cases," Sebastian answered.

Ciel frowned and he tried to ignore the sharp pain in his chest. He swallowed and it moved down, settling like lead in his stomach. "But here I am."

"I know," Sebastian snarled and he looked annoyed at himself. "I shouldn't have. It was a foolish and weak move on my part."

"Sebastian," Ciel started and finally surrendered to the urge to touch him. His fingers skimmed down soft but chilled skin and he almost flinched away at the cold touch that numbed his fingers. He held back though and his fingers curled around Sebastian's wrist. "I wouldn't have come if I didn't want to be here. If I didn't want to be here with you."

Sebastian snorted. "I'm dangerous," he said.

Ciel shook his head. "I live with a roommate who dates another vampire," he said with a roll of his eyes. "I know your kind."

"I've killed," Sebastian said and Ciel blinked, finding that no hint of remorse lingered in Sebastian's voice at the words. Only a sense of pride and lurking just below that, a longing and a rush of adrenaline at killing again.

His eyes lowered. "I know," he said simply and he didn't press Sebastian to know if he killed humans, vampires, or both. "And I know you'll kill again."

Sebastian grunted but didn't confirm or deny Ciel's claims. "You know all this and you still want to stay around us? Around me?"

Ciel shrugged. "My reasoning's are my own," he said and this time, a smirk crossed his lips. "Maybe I just like you," he said boldly, although he didn't doubt his words. Sebastian somehow managed to grab ahold of him tightly and didn't seem to want to let go. A thought that scared Ciel just a little. And thrilled him at the same time.

Laughter left Sebastian's mouth and the sound filled the room. He didn't comment on the last sentence as he looked towards Ciel. "So stubborn," he teased.

"No more stubborn than you," Ciel countered.

Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You won't back down, will you?"

"Not really," Ciel said with a smirk.

"Fine," Sebastian said after a full minute of silence. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "You can stay."

Ciel's smirk grew but he didn't say anything, only slightly worried that making a snarky comment now would make Sebastian take back everything. And after fighting so long to stay by Sebastian's side, the last thing Ciel wanted was for the vampire to turn him away again.

Even though a deep, churning part of Ciel felt that Sebastian caved too easily. If Sebastian truly didn't want him to stay, than he could just as easily vanish from Ciel's life. Yet for all that, Sebastian kept him close for a reason Ciel couldn't decipher. One that possibly hinted at ulterior motives.

 _'_ _I'm dangerous.'_

 _'_ _I've killed.'_

 _'_ _He's dangerous, Ciel.'_

The words raced about through his mind and despite the warm room, Ciel shivered.


End file.
